An Unlikely Pair (Remade Edition!)
by Runaway Renegade
Summary: Everett D. Grace is a hot-tempered marine who absolutely despises pirates. So what happens when a certain red haired fellow weasels his way into her heart? Mostly humor and romance, with maybe a little drama. This is the rewritten version. (Going through some editing. Edited up to chapter 12)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey guys! This here is a rewritten version of a story that I started a very long time ago. This is actually the second time I've decided to rewrite it, and I feel bad for starting it over instead of just finishing what's already done. I just don't like the format I used for the old version and thought it might be better to just do it from the beginning. So here it is! Let's hope I actually finish it this time, yeah? Haha..ha. I know, bad joke, sorry.**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **First Meeting**

Grace was almost lightheaded with anticipation. Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweaty, and she had a hard time focusing on her commanding officer. Her attention was trained on the ocean, where the rest of the fleet was engaged in battle against a most worthy adversary. She could just make out the red sails of the _Oro Jackson_ just beyond the marine battleships. The infamous Gold Roger was there. The _Pirate King_ himself. Grace fidgeted where she stood. She wanted to be there, to see the Roger Pirates in person, to see them fall before her mighty blade. She could see it now; Everett D. Grace hailed as a hero who brought the Pirate King's tyranny to and end. Praised for her bravery and fortitude, inspiring future generations to follow the path of justice.

Grace blinked away the fantasy. It wouldn't happen like that, probably. If anything the headlines would laud Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp for his perseverance. She might get an honorable mention, if she was lucky.

The butt of a rifle sharply jabbed her in the ribs, accompanied by a hissed, "Quit bouncin', lass!" Her head snapped towards the officer beside her and she promptly realized that she was, in fact, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She stilled sheepishly and turned her head forward in time to catch the end of the briefing given by the commander of this ship.

"—must capture them swiftly! Are we clear?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Right. There were Roger Pirates in town. They had to find them. That was why Grace was in a port town instead of with the rest of the fleet. Well, that and she was only fourteen. Garp wasn't quite ready to let her face the big fish yet. She jogged down the ramp with the other soldiers and into town.

The group split up to cover more ground. Grace took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had to be smart about this. She had to stay calm. She couldn't let her excitement get the better of her. Not again. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

Grace kept her eyes peeled, scanning the crowd. Searching for anyone that looked unsavory. Occasionally civilians would recognize her uniform and point her in the direction they last saw a suspicious face. After maybe twenty minutes of looking and listening to tips, she spotted a pair of boys who fit the profile of who she was looking for.

The one with red hair and the straw hat was rather unassuming—early to mid teens, kind of lanky, plain clothes. The other one stood out just a bit with his red nose and more colorful outfit. Someone really should have spotted him before then. Either the marines weren't paying enough attention or he was just lucky. They couldn't have been much older than she was. _I could take them..._

Grace flexed the hand on the hilt of her sword and crept towards them, ducking into an alley where she wouldn't be seen while she went over her options.

* * *

"Buggy, shhh!" The redhead risked a peek around the think wooden pole he was ducked behind. It didn't offer much cover, but the marines talking to the shop employees across the street hadn't noticed him yet, so it was good enough for the time being.

"Why are there so many of them around here?!" His clownish friend just barely managed to keep his voice down.

"I don't know," He turned back to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder, hoping it would slow the panicky babbling spewing from his mouth. "But if they see us, we're gonna be in trouble!"

"This is all your fault, Shanks! You and your stupid red hair stand out too much!" His friend whispered harshly.

Shanks, turned his head and blinked at the other boy with blue hair and bright red nose. "You think so...?" he asked. He didn't point out any hypocrisy. The last thing he needed was Buggy getting all loud and angry. Especially since he just spotted a trio of marines round the corner down the road. He clicked his tongue and looked around for an escape route. Before Buggy could go on placing all the blame on him, he pointed towards the alley not too far off. "C'mon, we can give them the slip by going that way." He cast one last look at the marines, making sure they weren't looking, and then briskly walked towards the gap between buildings with Buggy right behind him.

The unmistakable sound of a metal blade sliding out of a sheath made Shanks stop in his tracks at the mouth of the alley. He pursed his lips and went a little cross-eyed to look at the sharp end of the blade hovering mere inches from his nose. "Oh, uh..." Shanks raise his eyes to the one _holding_ the sword and tried to smile. The girl standing opposite him was frowning. She was about his age with long white hair tied back into a pony tail. She was wearing a marine cap that shadowed her dark blue eyes. "Hi there!" he said cheerily. He was aware of Buggy tensing behind him, probably about ready to yell obscenities. "Do you think you could put that away?"

"And why, pray tell, would I do that?" The marine girl asked. Her eyebrows knitted together and Shanks saw something dangerous glimmering in her lapis blue eyes. He swallowed. "You two are pirates, aren't you? You're with the Pirate King."

"Damn it, this is the last time I listen to you, Shanks!" Buggy whispered haughtily. "Now Rayleigh-san is gonna chew us out!"

"Now's not the time, Buggy!" Shanks murmured quickly.

"So you _are_ with Roger's crew!" Her tone was icy. She took a step forward, forcing Shanks to step back lest the blade slice his nose off.

"Hey, now...We weren't doing anything wrong, were we?" Shanks lifted his hands up. "We're just here to pick up some stuff is all...We were even gonna pay for it." Maybe he could diffuse the situation. Probably not, but he tried anyway.

"Like that makes up whatever other horrible things you do! You're surrounded, pirate! Just give up!" She spoke loudly enough to catch the attention of her comrades nearby. They drew their swords and advanced upon them.

"Argh, I'm getting out of here!" Buggy bolted down the street, and Shanks cursed before following. They slipped through a gap in the ranks and made a mad dash for freedom. So much for not causing a scene.

* * *

Grace growled in frustration when her prey slipped into the more crowded part of the shopping district. She couldn't see which way they disappeared to. She turned her head this way and to catch a glimpse of either of those pirates. She heard one of her fellow officers speak. "You guys go get back up! She and I will keep an eye on them!" The others nodded and ran back for help.

Grace hopped onto a crate and scanned the crowd for a second before pointing towards the flash of red and blue. "There!" The both of them chased after their targets until they ran in different directions. She looked at the other officer. "You go after the clown, and I'll keep my eyes on the other one, got it?" He nodded and then they went their separate ways.

 _Now, where did you go..._ Grace looked around wildly. He couldn't have gotten away that easily. This area he ran to was less crowded so there's no way she would have lost him. She froze when she spotted what looked like the top of a straw hat, partially hidden behind a large barrel filled with apples. "Aha!" She jogged over and the red haired pirate stood up, apparently aware his hiding spot wasn't very good. Grace tried to step around the barrel, but the redhead matched her step for step, effectively staying on the other side no matter what. "Red Hair..." she hissed.

He cleared his throat. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot." Shanks said. His eyes were shifty, not so subtly looking at his surroundings. He was looking for a way out.

"Oh, I don't think we did. It was a pretty standard start, if you as me." She replied. She tried again to get around the barrel, but the pirate just evaded her again. "You're prolonging the inevitable, Red Hair!"

"Listen! Can't we just chat for a little while—"

"No."

"—and catch our breath? I mean we've both been running a bunch today, and I clearly can't get away from you... So why not take a little break with me, huh?" He flashed a smile and leaned against the barrel with one arm. "I won't try to go anywhere, I promise."

"You expect me to believe you?" Grace said indignantly and Shanks' smile fell. "I'm not an idiot! You're just trying to distract me!"

"I just wanna catch my breath is all...It's too hot to be running all over the place like this." He made a show of taking off his hat and fanning himself with it.

"Oh don't worry! You can rest all you want after I arrest you. And I'll even put you in a nice cold cell where the heat won't get to you." Grace made another lunge to get around the barrel, but he dodged again when she tried to grab him.

"Ha! Two birds with one stone, huh?" Shanks replied. He could see that she was getting more irritated by the second, but he pretended not to notice."You drive a hard bargain..." he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But that seems like permanent solution to a temporary problem, so I'm gonna have to pass on that, angel. Sorry." Grace's frown deepened at the pet-name, but that didn't seem to deter the boy. "Look, doll," he leaned a little closer with both hands gripping edge of the barrel tightly, "As fun as this has been, I ,uh, really have to get going, so... See ya later!" He used all his strength to tip over the heavy barrel, sending its contents cascading out of it and onto the street.

Grace back pedaled in an attempt to avoid the sudden onslaught of apples, but the round fruits predictable rolled under her feet and she ended up slipping right onto her backside. She ignored the pain she felt upon hitting the concrete and stood up again. However, when she tried to pursue the retreating form of the red haired pirate, she only ended up slipping on more apples.

Her face grew hot with shame when she looked up to see that she had lost site of him. _I can't believe he got the better of me like this..._ Grace lowered her head, her bangs falling to cover her eyes. She punched the ground, savoring the sting when her fist hit concrete. She wouldn't be able to chase him down. He would be gone by the time she maneuvered through the apple minefield. She stood up, scowling as she dusted off her clothes, and then picked up an apple. _You win this round, you redheaded fool._

* * *

Shanks was panting by the time he reached the alcove where he and his crew-mates had landed earlier. It looked like most of them had already left. He looked behind him, one last check to make sure he had had actually lost that marine girl. There was no sign of her, so Shanks took his time catching his breath on his way to where Buggy standing in the water next to their dinghy.

"There you are!" he shouted. "Hurry it up will you!? I was about ready to leave without you!"

Shanks let out a breathy laugh. "Sorry, Buggy. Thanks for waiting." He helped push the boat further out into the water and then climbed in after his friend. "So, what are we gonna tell the captain?" he asked. They were supposed to help restock the food stores on the ship, but here they were with nothing.

"Hell if I know! This is all _your_ fault, so you tell him." Buggy replied. He picked up the oars and started rowing.

"Yeah, yeah..." It went quiet for a moment. Then, something hit him square in the jaw. "Ouch!" Shanks rubbed the sore spot and looked down at the shiny red apple that fell in his lap. Bewildered, he looked up and scanned the shore.

There, standing on the beach with an armful of apples, was the marine girl that had given him so much trouble. Another fruit hit him in the head. Another one came after that, but it hit Buggy instead. "Ow! What a bitch! Just leave already!" he shouted.

Shanks laughed and caught the next one that came his way. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Thanks for the apples, darling!" He was rewarded with an apple hitting him in the head. "Jeez..." _That girl has a good arm..._

"You won't get away next time ya red haired bastard!"

Shanks smiled to himself, but the sound of cannon fire caught his attention. He turned in his seat to a fleet of marine ships pursuing the Oro Jackson. _Yikes_. He picked up the other set of oars to help Buggy row. They needed to get to the ship before it passed by. They rowed as as fast as they could, to the point where their muscles ached. They were greeted with a helping hand from a crewmate, there to pull them aboard.

Shanks gathered up the apples and carefully boarded the ship without dropping them. "So." He looked up at the source of the voice. Rayleigh-san. "You brought back...five apples."

He looked down at his meager haul, then back up. "Yep."

"That's it?"

"Well—" Something landed on the deck with a thud. Those within earshot of it looked down and saw...

An apple.

"Make that six." Shanks put his armful on the deck, ignoring them when they rolled. He leaned over the edge of the ship, hand shading his eyes as he looked at the far off shore. He could just barely make her out, along with a couple of other marines. He turned back to Rayleigh, pointing his thumb in her direction. "Man, she has a really good arm!"

* * *

"Um...Everett...?"

She didn't turn around. She threw the last apple she had and watched it sail well out of sight. She hoped it reached the ship. Maybe it would hit that damned redhead. Or maybe it would hit Roger. That would be something.

"Everett, we gotta get back to the ship."

She slowly turned towards the little band of marines that came looking for her. A couple looked vaguely amused, but tried for pokerfaces and avoided eye contact when she looked at them. She didn't blame them. How else could they react to the futility of throwing fruit at a pirate ship? The one talking to her was the same guy that jabbed her earlier. Warren was his name. He was kinda tall and broad, with short blond hair and dark brown eyes. "Y'know, if I had a gun, I could've caught them." she said.

"Yeah, well, you know why you don't get one. Now get a move on, lass, they're gonna leave us behind."

Grace huffed and stomped off muttering, "That was an accident. Months ago."

* * *

 **A/N: So, that was the first chapter of the new, improved version of "An Unlikely Pair"! Please, please, _please_ let me know what you think and if I should continue it this way! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I want to start off by saying "Thank you" to the lovely comments I've already gotten. You guys are too sweet, honestly! I'm so glad You guys liked the first chapter! I'm gonna try my _damned_ hardest to see this through to the end. I'm keeping a little list of plans for future chapters to keep myself on track and everything!  
**

 **Without further ado, here's chapter two! Heh, that rhymed!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two:**

 **The Day Started Well  
**

Grace let out a content sigh. Her hand was at her hip, resting right on top of her holstered pistol. She finally got it back. She'd been without it for far too long, in her opinion. Sure, she understood _why_ Vice Admiral Garp confiscated it, but she thought it could have been returned sooner. Some of the others seemed to have some misgivings about it being returned to her. Warren, in particular, had had been among those to vocalize his concerns.

"I don't feel good about this, sir."

Vice Admiral Garp turned to him. "Why is that, soldier?" His mouth was full. He was munching on a doughnut. "She's a good shot."

"I've a cap in my locker with a bullet hole in it that says otherwise."

Grace grimaced. "You still have it?"

"I kept it ta prove you're a fuckin' loose cannon. A couple inches off, and it woulda been my _head_ with a hole in it!"

She lowered her head, scratching the back of her neck. She remembered that day. It was a stressful one. There were pirates holed up in a tavern, armed with guns. She'd been arguing with another marine on how to deal with the situation, gesturing wildly with her pistol in hand. She got frustrated and unthinkingly squeezed the trigger and, well...She didn't hurt anybody, but everyone thought it would be best to remove the weapon from her possession until further notice. "I apologized, didn't I? I've learned my lesson. It won't happen again."

"See? It's fine!" Garp patted Grace on the back. "Don't worry so much!"

Warren wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it. He took to wearing that cap every day after Grace got her pistol. Any time he thought she was getting too worked up while holding the weapon, he would point at his cap, right at the bullet hole in the visor. She would roll her eyes and tuck it away with exaggerated motions. It _did_ kind of remind her to keep her cool though.

The couple of weeks that followed were fairly quiet. They consisted mostly of target practice for Grace. It started with regular targets that got progressively smaller. Then she started shooting glass beer bottles balanced on the railing of the ship, generously donated by whomever indulged in the stuff. Somebody nailed a doughnut to the wall, and she shot it right through the hole without the bullet hitting the pastry at all. Garp praised her skill and then ate said pastry. At some point, somebody suggested she shoot fruit off of people's heads. "Fuck _that_." said Warren. Other people volunteered. Grace shot every apple, orange and kiwi without incident. She looked at Warren and stuck her tongue out. He flipped her off.

Then came the day when she watched the infamous "Crimsonblade" Davis being loaded onto the marine ship, restrained by heavy shackles and head hanging low with defeat. This scumbag of a pirate had wreaked havoc upon the innocent for far too long. He was known for being cruel and sadistic. He hurt people for his own entertainment. _And he's finally been captured, thanks to me._ Grace thought with surge of satisfaction.

She knew she shouldn't let it go to her head, but this was the first big arrest that she had a major part in. This man was big and strong, and he was absolutely deadly with his bloodstained sword. None of the marines were hurt too badly, thankfully, but it was beginning to look like he would gain the upper hand when Grace steeled herself and pointed her pistol at him. Her hands had been shaking slightly, worried she'd miss and hit somebody else, but she did it. She fired a bullet right into Crimsonblade's sword-wielding hand and helped save the day.

A hand fell heavily on her shoulder, shaking her from her reverie. "Good work, Everett!" Vice Admiral Garp said cheerily. "Keep that up and you might find a promotion headed your way!"

"Ehe, thank you, but I'm just doing my job..." she replied, somewhat bashful. Though she'd be lying if she said she didn't appreciate the kind words. "I don't really need any promotion or anything." It was truth. Her rank didn't matter in the long run as long as she was bring down bad guys. Her goal in life wouldn't change, regardless of where she stood in the marine hierarchy. However, it _would_ be nice to be the one giving orders instead of taking them...

A flash of red caught her attention from the corner of her eye. A spark of irritation momentarily overshadowed her good mood as she scanned the group of onlookers for any trace what she had seen. Her annoyance ebbed, though, when she didn't see any hint of _that_ person. _It must have been a bird or a butterfly or something..._ Grace thought. She brushed off the minor distraction as nothing important.

She was just about ready to board the ship when someone shouted. "Vice Admiral Garp!" The man in question turned and nodded at his subordinate. "The Roger Pirates have been spotted!"

"No kidding?!" Garp was clearly very enthused by the news. "Where are they?"

"The report says that they're anchored in the alcove on the northern beach!"

"Right, don't let them escape!"

For a second, Grace was exacted at the prospect of facing the Pirate King. But then she remembered. _That red thing earlier..._ Instead of rushing to the ship like a couple of her fellow marines, she narrowed her eyes and scanned what she could see of the town. Her blood was already beginning to boil and she hadn't even laid eyes on that straw-hat clad bastard.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and vaguely recognized his voice as Warren's. "Hey, are you comin' or—"

" _That_ guy's here!" Grace growled. "They must be here for supplies or whatever." She looked at the other marine. "I'm going after him! That red haired bastard!"

"...The one that schooled you with the apples? How d'you know he's—" Grace stopped listening and took off into town. Just before she was out of earshot, she heard the man behind her mutter, "Ooookay. Guess we're stayin' here, lads. Let's go."

* * *

Shanks peered out cautiously from his little hiding spot between the barn and the big tree that shaded a good portion of the pasture. He looked past the cows at the marine girl currently scanning her surroundings in search of _him_. She was alone because her buddies had spotted Buggy and gone after him since he was making such a big scene. He remembered their last encounter, and _almost_ wanted to start up another little game of tag. _He_ did have an oddly good time even though she was trying to strip away his freedom. However, this time she was carrying something much more deadly than just a sword, and it made Shanks more than a little reluctant to step out into the open.

He ducked back behind the barn when the marine glanced in his direction. He didn't hear any footsteps running toward him, so he assumed he had escaped her notice for now. The cows, on the other hand, were a different story _. They_ noticed him and a couple ambled over to investigate the suspicious boy hanging around their pen.

Shanks flinched when they 'mooed' and tried to wave them away. "Shoo! Get out of here! You're gonna blow my cover!" he hissed. It was too late, though. Only a second later, he saw the marine round the corner of the pen. Her expression changed from anticipation to anger when her eyes zeroed in on him.

" _You_!" she growled. "I knew that was you I saw!" Shanks saw her reach for the pistol holstered at her hip, but he hopped the fence into the cows pasture and made a dash for the barn before she could properly take it out. "Get back here!" He heard a thud on the grass and knew she hopped the fence after him.

He made it through the doorway and haphazardly yanked the door shut. He didn't have time to lock it, of course, but it bought precious extra seconds to climb the ladder up to the loft. He hauled himself up and rolled out of sight just in time to hear a loud bang. When he looked up, he saw the tiny hole where the bullet had hit the ceiling. _Yikes_. He pushed himself to his knees.

"Get down here, Red Hair!"

"Ah, no, sweetheart. I really think I'm better off staying up here..." the pirate replied. He looked around for an escape plan, and the only way out that he could see was the window. He scurried over to it and looked out. It was awfully long way down, but he couldn't really _stay_ here, either. The creaking of the wooden ladder made the choice for him. He hoisted himself over the edge of the windowsill and caught a glimpse of brilliantly white hair before dropping down to the ground below. He was running almost as soon as his feet touched the ground, towards the village, towards more buildings he could use for cover because he knew that marine would be right behind him.

Shanks chanced a look over his shoulder when he got to a part of the village that had a few more people bustling around. He saw the marine girl aim at him with her gun and then hesitate before looking frustrated and then putting it back in its holster. It seemed like she didn't want to risk harming any bystanders with it, so Shanks decided to use that to his advantage.

* * *

Grace growled to herself as she fought to stay on her prey's tail. She couldn't use her pistol. Shanks kept ducking and weaving through areas inhabited by villagers. _And he's doing it on purpose.._. Grace gritted her teeth at the thought. This was why she couldn't stand pirates. They all exploited the innocent in order to preserve their own self. That kind of selfishness _really_ got under her skin.

Luckily, her target appeared to be getting tired because he ran towards a pond and ducked behind a tree. She slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. They had been running for a while. "You don't have anywhere to go, pirate." she stated as she took out her pistol. "And there aren't any stupid apples to aid in your escape this time either."

She heard him chuckle. "What, you didn't like them?" he asked in between breaths. "Well, what kind of fruit _do_ you like? I'll try to use those next time."

 _Oh, not this silly banter again_... Last time he started talking like that, he got away. Rather than answer, Grace tried to tiptoe around the tree enough to grab him, but he noticed her and sidestepped away to put the same distance between them. _This is like last time all over again!_ She was more an a little annoyed by his little game. "Quit being such a coward and fight me properly!"

"But I don't wanna fight you, gorgeous!" the redhead peered around the tree trunk with a dashing smile before disappearing again when she lifted her gun. "I wouldn't want to risk hurting that pretty face of yours. I'd much rather admire it. From afar preferably."

"Your little fibs aren't gonna get you anywhere, pirate." Grace said, irritation lacing her voice.

"Fibs? No no no, I'm being honest! You really are cute, you know. Hasn't anyone ever told you that?"

Her face heated. She gnashed her teethe. "How would you know?! You can't see me when you run like a coward all the damn time!" Grace was almost shouting defensively. .

"Hm...You make a good point." Grace didn't like his tone. It sounded like trouble. "Maybe I should come out and get a better look, huh?"

"Wha—" She couldn't even get a word out before the redhead darted out from behind the tree and snatched both of her wrists in his hands. She immediately began struggling while the pirate desperately tried to hold her hands up in the air where she couldn't shoot him. "Let go of me, you bastard!" She kicked at his legs, or at least tried to.

But that didn't work out in her favor.

Shanks took the opportunity to catch her foot between his calves and used his weight to shove forward. They toppled over together and tumbled into the pond, getting soaked in the process.

When Grace sat up and spit murky water from her mouth, she felt a finger tilt her chin up. Shanks was only a few inches away, on his hands and knees, straddling her legs. His eyes darted around her face, appraising. Then a grin formed on his face. "I was right. You _are_ gorgeous!"

Grace sat there with a dumbfounded expression on her face for half a second, and then started blushing when his words registered. "Wha—Shut the hell up!" She yelled, irritated, and roughly shoved him off. She ignored his snickering as they both stood up and tightened her grip on her pistol. She pointed it at the pirate. "Now you're gonna get it!"

 _Click._

Nothing happened.

Grace looked at her gun, disbelieving. She gritted her teeth and she felt like she was going to explode.

"The gunpowder—"

" _ **Don't.**_ "

Shank's mouth snapped shut, whatever he was about to say dying on his tongue. Grace knew _very well_ that the gunpowder was wet. And that it was why it didn't fire properly. She dropped the pistol, letting it fall into the was water with a splash.

"Right, so...I'm just gonna...you know. Go." He halfheartedly pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. And then he was off like lighting, but Grace was hot on his heels.

* * *

Shanks barreled through a bush and bolted right down to water, fully aware of the marine right behind him. He swore he could practically feel her breath on his neck. He crashed to the waves of the sea and immediately started paddling before he even noticed that Buggy wasn't too far off rowing the dinghy they had used to get to shore in the first place. "Buggy! Wait up!" he called.

At the sound of his name, Buggy looked over and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Don't bring that bitch over here!" he shouted. He started rowing faster.

Shanks chanced a look over his shoulder, and sure enough the marine girl had followed him right into the water with murder in her pretty blue eyes. He swam faster. "Just let me get in the boat!" _Somehow_ he managed to catch up with Buggy (Man, did he know to row a boat or what?) and climbed in. He grabbed the other set of oars and started desperately rowing right along with him "C'mon, faster!" he said, a sort of nervous laughter bubbling out of him.

"The hell are you laughing at, huh?!" Buggy yelled. Shanks didn't answer. He just wanted to put as much distance between himself an the marine girl as possible. He didn't relax until he saw her give up with an angry swat to the water and turn back

When they made it back to the ship, which had dared to wait for them while holding off Garp and his fleet, Shanks was exhausted. Someone asked him if he was okay when he flopped onto his back on the deck. "I think I saw my life flash before my eyes..." He sat up and looked towards the shore, towards the tiny figure standing on the beach and thought he could hear her screaming his name in the wind.

* * *

When Grace got back to the docks, she found her ship was damaged. She overheard someone saying they'd have to stay there and repair it before they could go anywhere. Well, that was fine. She stomped aboard the ship, soaking wet. She ignored anyone who asked what happened or what was wrong. She went straight to the berth—or sleeping quarters—and located her locker. She dug through it, found her stopwatch, and then stormed back outside. She saw Warren talking to somebody on the dock. She chucked the stopwatch at him as she jumped in the water.

"Ack—What the—"

"Time me."

"...What."

"I'm gonna swim to that buoy and back." She pointed to an anchored float. It was just about the same distance she swam after Shanks before she had to give up. "Time me."

"...I take it that guy out-swam you..." he stated.

She gritted her teeth. "Time. Me."

There was a silent pause, and then a resigned sigh. She didn't look to what expression he had. Her eyes were glued to the buoy. "Fine. Ready?" She nodded. "Go." She pushed off the dock and started swimming.

* * *

 **A/N: And that concludes today's installment of the misadventures of Gracie and Shanks! Stay tuned for more!** **  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again guys! Welcome to the third chapter! I want to thank you guys again for reading! It really means a lot! I'm having a bunch of fun with this too!  
**

 **Onward to the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three:**

 **Things Don't Always Go the Way We Want Them To.  
**

There was heavy rain pouring down, almost enough to drown in if he opened his mouth. The wind was going strong, whipping around so fast it nearly stung. The thunder and lightning provided a sinister backdrop to his current predicament. It was a stark contrast to only an hour earlier, when it was nice and sunny. It was as though the weather soured with arrival of the marine in front of him, like her mood called forth some god of storms to make the day match her temper. She certainly seemed determined to remove his head from his shoulders.

Their swords came together with a loud clash, and Shanks had to admit that she was stronger than she looked. Her blade had hit his hard enough to make him stumble back a step. He fought back a cheeky grin when he saw the rage glittering in her eyes. "Aw, c'mon are you really that angry at me?" he asked.

"Am I angry? Am. I. Angry!?" she shoved forward, pushing the pirate back a couple of steps before reeling back to strike him with another blow. This time Shanks felt the impact in his bones. It kinda hurt. "What on earth would make you think that?!" She asked as struck out at him again, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why would I be angry at the man who makes me look like a fool every time I see him?!"

"So... is that a yes?" The marine let out a battle cry in response, and Shanks thought that he should probably get going before she actually did him any damage. He parried all of her attacks while a plan took form in his head. He looked down at the ground and then smirked before quickly took a step back and swinging his sword towards her legs. Predictably, she dodged by hopping away, but the mud beneath her feet was so slick that she slipped and hit the ground hard. Shanks didn't stick around long enough to get a look at her face. He darted for the trees, hearing a swearing marine behind him.

The redhead weaved through the trees and bushes, looking for some way to ditch the vengeful woman. Unfortunately it was as though there was blood in the water, and she was the great white shark on the prowl. She was dead set on not losing him this time. Shanks took a sharp turn around a natural stony wall and tried not to slip down the steep hill at one side. However, the mud was as much of an enemy as his pursuer. He misplaced a step and that was all it took to make Shanks slide down the hill. No amount of clutching at weeds or bushes could stop him; the rain had made it too easy for their roots to slip right out of the ground. It was only after finding purchase on a boulder sticking partially out of the ground that he noticed he had dropped his weapon in his panic to stop sliding. He thought it could just barely see it stuck in the mud at the bottom of the hill. _Damn it.._.

All of a sudden, he noticed some mud and water trickling down from above and he looked up in time for the marine girl to crash into him and send them both tumbling to the bottom. "Ugh..." Shanks rubbed his head after they hit the ground. It hadn't hurt too much. The mud was kinda soft. The rain water was couple of inches deep when he stood up. He looked over at the muddy marine. She was feeling around wildly in the mud, probably looking for own sword. He turned to make a run for it, but a hand darted out and wrapped around his ankle.

"Oh no you don't!" The girl growled when he almost tripped. "You're not going anywhere!" She hustled forward and grabbed his shirt to pull him further down.

He tried to struggle, but he slipped. "Oof!" Shanks landed back in the water with a thud. The girl climbed over him to pin him down, and his hand shot out to shove her off. The next few minutes consisted of both teens trying to get the upper hand on the other while thunder and lighting crackled in the sky. They only paused briefly when the girl was seated on his waist trying to wrench her wrists free from his grip. He took a second to catch his breath, while taking in the sight of the marine. Her hair was down and plastered to her skull with water and mud. Her wet clothes were clinging to her skin, conforming to her body's shape. He couldn't help himself. "You know..." Shanks smiled. "This mud-wrestling session of ours would be more fun if you weren't trying to kill me, hot stuff."

The marine glared. "You—"

A crack of lightning interrupted her, and the creaking sound of a tree being uprooted and falling over made them look at the top of the hill. The tree in question fell against a large boulder, pushing it enough to unleash a cascade of water that only got bigger and bigger as it washed away more and more mud. And the torrent was coming right for them.

The marine sprang off of the redhead and bolted somewhere, but Shanks didn't care enough to see where she went. He leaped to his feet and tried to find higher ground right as a wave of muddy water washed over him.

* * *

Grace broke the surface of the rapid water, gasping. She looked looked around wildly for something to grab on to. She caught a glimpse of the pirate hauling himself out of the water by the branches of a fallen tree. She ignored him, a sense self preservation overshadowing her desire to catch him. She reached out and grabbed onto and exposed tree root as she passed it, only for it to snap. She swore and fought the current so she could grab onto the slippery edge of a large stone. There wasn't enough room to properly hoist herself up, so she settled for simply holding herself partially out of the water.

She looked up, towards the edge of the cliff she was under. There wasn't anything to grab onto to pull her self up. She looked around for some other way up, and was surprised when she spotted Shanks standing on the other side of the flood, still by the tree roots he climbed up. He was looking at her, with his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed hesitant, undecided, and Grace wondered what was going through his head.

"Grace!" She looked up at the sound, saw Warren standing above her on the cliff. "You alright there, lass?" There were a couple of other familiar faces with him, peering down and looking somewhat relieved.

"Yeah, I'm alright!" she called back. They stepped out of sight for a moment and then Grace saw a rope uncoil and fall beside her. She firmly grabbed a hold of it and let her comrades pull her up. They checked her over, and she waved them away. "I'm fine, really." Though she was a little sore about losing her prey again. And maybe a little chilly. She looked to where she last saw him, and sure enough, he was gone. She huffed. Nothing ever seemed to go right.

 **~...~**

Only two weeks went by before Grace got to see that pirate's dumb face again. Unfortunately, it was out at sea where she couldn't fight him one on one. She looked through a pair of binoculars and scanned the ship ahead of her. She saw pirates bustling about, hauling cannon balls and gunpowder across the deck to the cannons. Just like the marines were doing. They didn't interest her. She kept scanning until spotted an irritatingly familiar straw hat. It's owner was doing the same thing she was; scoping out the marine fleet with a telescope. He must have noticed her, because a toothy smile spread across his face. He lowered his telescope and waved. And then stuck his tongue out with a wink.

"Grr..." Grace lowered her binoculars with a growl. She looked around until she spotted a familiar face. "Warren!" she barked.

The man jumped, nearly dropping a box of gunpowder as he passed by. "Th' hell do you want?!"

"Gimme that. And go get me some cannon balls!"

"Go get 'em yourself!" He dropped the box next to her and walked off. Grace clicked her tongue and went below deck to retrieve ammunition.

* * *

Shanks hustled back and forth between the sharpshooters and stash of cannon balls below deck. He wasn't really good at manning the cannons himself, so this was all he could really do at the moment. Every couple of trips back and forth, he would give in to his desire to pick up his telescope and see what Grace was doing. Grace. That was her name. He finally learned what it was when her friends showed up to rescue her last time. It was kind of ironic, though. If he was being honest, he couldn't say she was very, uh, _graceful_. He spotted her loading up a cannon, face set with determination and then she adjusted the angle of the big heavy gun with the help of another marine.

Shanks lowered his telescope, eyes wide and the dove out of the way just in time to avoid the iron sphere that hurdled passed right where he had been standing to leave a hole in the deck not too far off. _Yep, she was definitely aiming for me.._. he thought. Despite knowing that she was aiming for him specifically, he smiled. She had grown on him, somehow. Shanks peeked through to his telescope again in time to see Grace lower her binoculars with a look of frustration. She then waved her friend over, who practically chucked some gunpowder at her face. For a second it looked like she'd beat him, but she turned her attention back to the cannon.

The redhead dropped the telescope again to get back to work handing over ammo to his own shipmates, but he was interrupted by the most unpleasant squealing roar he had ever heard. He had to cover his ears or he thought his eardrums might burst. He forced one eye open and saw one giant octopus tentacle rise out of the ocean and slap down onto the marine ship, cracking the main mast. Another tentacle followed, but this one headed for the Oro Jackson instead.

The pirate versus marine battle was put on hold in favor of getting rid of this not so little menace.

* * *

Grace was absolutely livid. How dare this hideous, oversized invertebrate interrupt her battle! Her blood was positively _boiling_. This thing was getting in the way of shooting giant chunks metal at that red haired imbecile! No. She would not let this chance slip by! She looked around, saw a couple of swords, and picked them up before marching over to the slimy tentacle wrapped around the mast. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of crewmates' voiced shouting that it was too dangerous, that she should get away from the monster, but she hardly noticed them. She hardly noticed much of anything except her roaring pulse in her ears and the sea king threatening the ship.

She brought one arm up high, the blade pointing downwards, and then used every once of strength in her body to bury it up the hilt in the monster's flesh. It let out an ear-piercing screech. The tentacle slipped off the mast and reared back, coiling in on itself. Two more rose around the marine ship.

 _So that's how it's gonna be, huh?_

She took a deep breath and then charged forward at the nearest tentacle with reckless abandon. She started hacking and slashing and lacerating any bit of monster flesh she could get to. Disregarding her own safety, she channeled her rage into trying to fell this foul beast. From the corners of her vision, she saw others coming in to help only to shy away because of the wild swinging of her own blade. She might think to apologize later, but now all that existed was her own frustration.

She just couldn't take it any more. Every time, _every single time_ , Grace met that red haired bastard something came up. Either he used some clever trick to escape or the very _world_ ended up against her whether it was the weather or this blasted see king. Sure, in between seeing him she had made other arrests, taken down more noteworthy pirates, but the fact that _this one_ kept escaping just didn't sit well with her. She had vowed to bring every last pirate she came across to justice, and she couldn't even capture some _cabin boy_ who didn't even seem to have any notable skills of his own that made things more difficult? All he did was run and chat and use simple tricks and luck to get away. _What am I doing wrong?!_

Grace didn't even realize how much damage she was actually doing. Any tentacles that had dared to come towards her had been partially severed or sliced to ribbons by her blade and hung pathetically by only portions of slimy flesh. It wasn't until after she had gotten up close enough to stab the beast in its creepy octopus eye and draw a pained screech from it that she finally started to let her anger subside. She finally backed off and let her comrades and Vice Admiral Garp take over to deal the finishing blow. They had apparently hung back enough to let her blow off some steam, figuring it would be better than dealing with her _without_ letting her get it all out.

She sighed and glared around at all the damage done to the marine ship. She had no doubt they'd end up retreating. The ship really couldn't afford to take on any more water, and the main mast was cracked so no one wanted to risk it getting broken completely.

Grace shot a glance at the Vice Admiral, and found him giving her a stern look. Even though she had come out of it relatively unscathed, she knew she'd be getting an earful about her reckless behavior later. She sighed.

* * *

Shanks was _really_ glad he wasn't on the same ship as Grace. He had watched in awe as she threw caution to the wind and unleashed her hellish fury on the poor sea king accosting her ship. He actually almost felt a little bad for it. Almost. That thing had attacked his ship as well, so he was glad to see it get punished, but still. He heard Buggy call her a rabid demon (a couple of his shipmates had wandered over to watch, mildly impressed by the scene) but Shanks thought of her as a vengeful goddess dishing out punishment on the beast that dared to stand in her way. Shanks _definitely_ didn't want to be near her when she was in a mood like that.

When it was over though, he frowned. He couldn't tell for sure, but when Grace had finally stepped away from the mangled monster, she looked dejected. There didn't seem to be any trace of that inner fire he had gotten used to. He saw her turn and look towards him and his ship one last time, but even then he didn't see any determination. She just turned and helped her shipmates prepare for retreat.

That wasn't the marine Shanks had grown fond of.

* * *

 **A/N: Poor Gracie just can't seem to catch a break :( She also can't seem to catch Shanks, either. See you guys next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! They give me life! \\(n_n)/  
**

 **Onward to chapter four!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **Saving Grace  
**

Grace was just about ready to throw in the towel. Clearly some some sort of deity was looking out for Shanks. Well, not just him, but _all_ the Roger pirates. There was a torrential downpour, the likes of which she had never seen. It felt more like a bucket of water was being emptied onto head, but it spanned several miles. She adjusted her cap to shield her eyes. It helped, some. She looked across the ocean, across waves that became bigger and more violent with each passing second. The clouds blocked quite a bit of sunlight, but she could still make out the Pirate King's ship bobbing on the waves. It was petty, but she took solace in the fact that they didn't seemed to be fairing any better than the marines were.

She didn't know how Garp stayed so positive all the damned time. "Don't look so down, Everett!" he said. "There's always next time!" he said. She wondered what his secret was. For the life of her, she just couldn't dredge up the same optimism.

The marine let those thoughts subside in favor of focusing on her knots. She was securing the cannons to the deck, lest they roll around and hurt somebody. There were others nearby, doing the same to other cannons and barrels and crates. The storm was getting worse. The ship nearly capsized once, just barely managing to ride a particularly huge wave. _Damned Grand Line weather..._ Grace would be lying if she said wasn't a little bit nervous. When she looked around, she saw that she wasn't the only one. Every face looked just about as tense as she felt. She hoped the storm would pass as quickly as it came.

But of course, things only ever went ever downhill in these kinds of situations.

As though it were alive, the ocean rose and curled right over the ship. It crashed over the heads of all marines in the deck, heavy and unrelenting. There really wasn't much she could do. The current was too strong. The rope she held onto was ripped from her hands and she was washed away into the abyss. She probably wasn't the only one. She fought as hard as she could, desperately kicking against the sea to propel her up towards the surface. She had only a few seconds to gulp down precious air before another wave swallowed her up. She coughed when she came up gain, a twinge of panic shooting through her gut. She didn't want to die by _drowning_ of all things...!

Grace heard a tremendous crack and looked up in time to see the marine ship's mast snap in two. It was no match for the wall of violent ocean it was up against. She dove underwater and desperately swam out of the way before it the water. She managed to escape being crushed by the mast, but the tangled web of ropes attached to it were a different story. _Damn this Grand Line weather.._.

* * *

Shanks gritted his teeth and pulled the rope in his hands as hard as possible. He was precariously perched on the topsail yard with a handful of his shipmates. They were fighting the wind to pull the sails up and secure them so the ship wouldn't capsize. It was a fierce battle, but they prevailed in the end and Shanks spared a moment to relax before looking for something else to help with.

Suddenly the ship was met with some particularly rough water, sending it rocking back and forth so violently that at one point the deck was nearly perpendicular to the ocean below. His crew-mates all held on tightly to whatever was closest; ropes, the railing, the grating on the floor directly above the storage unit... Shanks himself was clinging to the mast, and planned to do so until he could properly stand again, but he saw a streak of gaudy clothes and blue hair slip down the deck while scrabbling desperately for something to grab onto. Shanks watched in horror as gravity pulled Buggy right into the black waters below.

Without a second thought, he released his hold on the mast and followed his friend into the choppy sea. Buggy couldn't swim, after all, ever since he had eaten that devil fruit. Which may or may not have been Shanks' fault. He wasn't so sure. The redhead swam into the murky depths after the sinking clown. He wrapped an arm around Buggy's waist and went to fight current back to the surface, but a white smudge further down caught his eye. There, struggling against the tangle of ropes attached to the sinking marine ship mast was, unmistakably, his favorite marine. He cursed in his head and swam back up to the surface where he saw one of his shipmates hanging over the side of the ship with a rope tied around his waist, ready to grab both him and Buggy. Shanks swam his way over and handed over the sputtering devil fruit user, but hesitated when a hand reach out for him as well.

He couldn't just _leave_ her down there. She'd drown. He thought she seemed like the typed who was better suited to going out in a blaze of glory, not claimed by the sea. He felt around his pockets for the knife he usually had with him and came to a decision.

Was it a stupid idea? Absolutely.

Did he care? Absolutely not.

Shanks ignored the inquisitive call of his name from his shipmate and took a deep breath, and then dived right back underwater. It was a fairly long way down, and it seemed as if the marine had just about given up the fight by the time he got near. He saw her face contort into confused shock and bubbles of air escaped her when she laid eyes on him. She promptly covered her nose and mouth in a panic. Shanks didn't offer any cheeky smile or a wave or anything because, frankly, his lungs were already burning from lack of air and it was hardly the time for his usual routine. He quickly set to work cutting the stubborn ropes where they were tangled around her arms and legs, and Grace herself began tearing away from her watery prison as they started to come loose.

Once free, the two of them desperately made their way back to the surface. As the duo gasped for oxygen, Shanks looked around for either of their ships. To his disappointment, though, he couldn't see past the monstrous swells of sea water that threatened to swallow them up again. For all he knew, they could have drifted pretty far away in the time it took for him to rescue Grace. The ocean was certainly chaotic enough for that.

A hand tightly wrapped around his arm and snapped him of his thoughts. For a split second, the strength in her grip convinced him she was gonna try and arrest him right then of all times. But when he looked over at Grace's guarded expression, she let go and started swimming towards what looking like a broken off piece of a ship's deck. It had part of a marine symbol painted onto it. He followed her lead and climbed halfway onto it, glad to be at least partially out of the water. He looked over at Grace, and saw her glaring daggers at her own clenched fists. She didn't say a word to him.

* * *

They drifted along the violent waves until the current carried them into the much calmer eye of the storm. From there, they could see an island did their best to paddle over.

When they were close enough, Grace slid off the piece of wood and waded through the water the rest of the way to shore. Her teeth and fists were clenched when she turned around to see the pirate doing the same. He was walking backwards, though, with his eyes scanning the sea for any sign of his ship.

There was a vine of seaweed laying on the sand. She picked it up and swung it at his head. "Ack!" She heard him spit a seaweed leaf out of his mouth as she continued whipping him. "Hey hey hey! What's the matter?"

She paused her assault. "Why did you save me?!" she demanded.

The redhead blinked at her and shrugged. "I dunno. I just thought drowning kinda seemed like a lame way to die." he answered. "There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Of course there's something wrong! I don't want to owe my life to some...some no-good _pirate_!" She spat the word as though it were poison. "You try to pass yourself off as 'not such a bad guy,' but you're still just some selfish lowlife who doesn't care about anything except what makes y _ou_ happy." Shanks opened his mouth to speak, but Grace continued on. "You don't care about what happens to anybody else if they're not on your side, you don't think twice about it when your scumbag captain kills people for just looking at his crew wrong!" A look of annoyance actually crossed the redhead's face at that but for whatever reason he held his tongue and let it go. "Do you bastard lowlifes ever stop to think that maybe, just _maybe_ , the choices you make affect more than just _you_? That every _adventure_ you have just for kicks might leave some poor brat without a family or home to go back to? Don't the ones left behind matter?!" Her voice wavered just slightly, and Grace shut her eyes tight against memories of fire and blood, against the faces that came forward. The faces of a woman and _that_ _man_ — She sucked in a breath and shoved the memories aside, locked them away in the deepest reaches of her mind. She opened her eyes again, glared at Shanks. "No, of course they don't." She said, voice steady. "It's not your problem once you're done having fun, is it?"

She turned away from the redhead, away from the eyes that seemed to soften by the end of her little rant. What right did he have to be sympathetic?

Grace felt a few heavy raindrops and looked up, realizing that the eye of the storm was passing overhead and that she should probably find cover before the weather went bad again. She heard quiet foot steps behind her when she headed further inland, following her as she sought out a dry place to wait out the storm. Eventually they found a little indent in the side of a cliff big enough for both of them to fit and even lay down and still have a little space between them. She let Shanks stay. She didn't really want to be near him, but she wasn't so cruel as to toss him out on his ass on a day like this. Besides, she supposed she owed him a little bit since he saved her.

It was quite a while before the silence was broken, and it was only because Shanks had run his fingers through his hair and jolted upright with a gasp. "Crap..." he muttered. He glanced over at her perplexed expression. "My hat." Oh, right. His ratty old straw hat was missing, now that Grace thought about it. She rolled her eyes and looked away. "No, this is serious. Where did I..." he trailed off, sounding genuinely anxious. "Do you think there's a chance it'll wash up on the beach?" he asked.

Grace sighed. She didn't answer him. After a few minutes of peering out of the cave towards the ocean, the redhead settled back down. His fingers drummed restlessly on the floor.

 **~...~**

It was sunlight that woke her up the next morning. She couldn't say when exactly she had dozed off, but she figured she must have been asleep for a long while. The storm had passed and it looked to be about mid morning the next day. She glanced to the side, at the pirate sprawled out next to her. She made a face and hustled outside. She looked for the tallest tree she see within walking distance of the cave and climbed it. At the top, she had a decent view of about half the island and the sea around it. The other half was hidden behind a mountain. She didn't see any ships, so carefully climbed back down. On the way, she noticed a sleepy Shanks looking up at her from the ground. She dropped down and brushed off her clothes.

"Did you see anything?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"No."

"Hm..." Shanks turned his gaze towards the beach. "I'm gonna go look for my hat."

"Whatever."

They parted ways. He scoured the shore in search of his hat, and she stared picking through things that had actually washed onto the sand. Much of it looked to be from a marine ship, likely the one she had been washed off of. It's mast had broken, so it wasn't too outlandish to think the rest of it had been torn to pieces as well. Grace felt a pang of worry. What had become of her shipmates? Did anyone drown? Would their bodies wash ashore? She shook her head and pushed the morbid thoughts from her mind. Dwelling on it wouldn't help. She started prying open crates to see if there was anything useful.

Grace didn't see Shanks again until a while later. "Have you seen—"

"I haven't seen your stupid hat. Go bug somebody else." Grace didn't look up from what she was doing. She was seated in the sand checking over a rifle she fished out of a crate to make sure that it would work properly. It would come in handy if there were any animals to hunt on this island.

"But there's no one else here." he replied.

Grace looked up at the pirate through her eyelashes, a frown on her face.

"Fine, fine..." Shanks took a step away, and then said, "If you _do_ see it, would you let me know, angel?"

"Why should I?"

"Please?"

The marine took one look at the dashing smile on the redhead's face and started polishing the rifle in her hands using slow, deliberate movements with the jacket she had taken off earlier. Shanks eyed the weapon, debating with himself whether or not to believe her silent threat. He apparently decided to play it safe because he walked off a moment later.

Grace watched him go, only a little surprised that he gave up so easy. She wondered if he was leaving her be because of her outburst before. It was either that or he was seriously concerned for his hat. That seemed plausible, too.

When she was satisfied that her rifle was in good shape, she strapped it to her back and went on scouring for supplies. She found a knapsack and a couple of knives before she saw a familiar piece of headgear bobbing lazily in the water towards the sand. Grace wandered over and picked it up. She spun it absently in between her fingers as she let her thoughts wander to the pirate it belonged to. She thought about how he saved her. For no reason other than he probably felt like it.

She didn't know how to feel about that. She didn't want to acknowledge that he probably had some redeeming qualities despite his lifestyle choices. She supposed she'd have to, though. If it wasn't for him, she'd be fish food by now.

Grace grumbled under her breath and decided to look for him.

* * *

Shanks was panting as he barreled through bushes and tree branches. In hindsight, he probably should have armed himself before venturing into the jungle, but he was just so worried about his hat. Now all he could do was run and hope to he had more stamina than the giant, sharp-toothed carnivore chasing after him.

He honestly hadn't seen the leopard sleeping among the bushes. He had just been wandering aimlessly through the tropical foliage looking around to see if his hat had blown in on the wind. He didn't mean to step on the cat's tail. But he did, and here he was.

Shanks bobbed and weaved through trees and bushes, but the giant growling leopard on his heals was agile so there was no chance of losing it that way. He also realized, too late, that it was just a bit faster than he was. He realized this when it's paw darted under his feet and tripped him up. "Oof!" He landed hard and flipped over to look directly at a set of sharp, pearly white teeth mere inches from his face.

Then there was deafening bang and the big cat fell onto its side, motionless. Shanks wondered, for a moment, what just happened.

When Grace came strolling out of the trees sneering at the leopard's body, the redhead stared at her with wide eyes. He gulped when she turned toward him with her rifle resting against her shoulder and watched as she started digging around in her knapsack. She pulled out something yellow and all but slammed into onto Shanks' head. He flinched because she wasn't exactly gentle about it.

"Now we're even." Was all the marine said before setting down her gun and turning toward her kill with a knife in hand.

Shanks took the straw hat off his head, looked between it and the girl slicing away at what would be her next meal, and then smiled fondly.

* * *

 **A/N: Grace did a little saving of her own at the end there~ I wonder what will happen next with them both stranded like this?**

 **Find out next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:  
**

 **Island Vacation?  
**

Shanks let out a content sigh as he watched the puffy white clouds drift along overhead. After spending about two days there so far, he decided the island was actually kind of nice. Well except for the territorial animals that roamed the forest. But it seemed Grace had done well to assert her dominance over the island's inhabitants, so they left the little campsite alone. Shanks glanced over at the girl when he started thinking of her. She was sprawled out on the furry pelt of that leopard she shot, propped up on one elbow while she picked apart an orange. She was faced away from him with her eyes on the sea, probably looking out for any ships going by.

The redhead found himself growing bored and couldn't resist the only form of entertainment he had. He rolled over onto his hands and knees quietly and shuffled over the edge of the pelt. He reached toward one of the paws.

"Don't touch."

He froze for a split second, looking at the marine who was still facing away from him. "How'd you know I was—"

"You're obvious." Grace said. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and glare at him.

Shanks wondered if she was like Rayleigh and could see everything the same way. Or maybe he just wasn't as sneaky as he thought. "C'mon sweetheart, this pelt is huge! There's room for both of us..." He flopped onto his belly on the sand and let his cheek fall against the fur. "It's so soft..."

"Go get your own."

"But I don't know how to tan a pelt..."

"Not my problem. Get lost."

Shanks puffed out his cheeks childishly and rolled onto the bed of fur. "Quit being so stingy, Gracie..." he whined. The girl sat up and frowned the redhead, but he only made a show of making himself comfortable on his back with his hands behind his head. He flashed a grin at the marine's irritated expression and she threw a segment of her orange at him. He chuckled and popped it into his mouth. It was just way too fun getting her riled up.

"Damned pirate." Grace muttered to herself and returned to her original position watching the sea. "Greasy, irritating, no-good son of a..."

"Aw, is that what you really think of me? And here I always thought you were the fluffiest ray of sunshine that ever lived..." His sarcasm was not lost on the marine.

"Get off my leopard!" Shanks felt her hands slip under his side as she tried to forcibly roll him off the pelt. "Off! Quit bugging me and get lost!"

The pirate pouted when she managed to shove him back onto the sand. "But sweetheart, I'm bored and there's no one else to talk to..."

"Go play with the wild pigs or something. I'm sure you'd fit right in." Grace replied haughtily.

Shanks took it in stride. "Yeah, but then my new friends might think it's okay to come along and trample all over our little camp here."

" _Our_ camp? No, no, this is _my_ camp. _I_ found the supplies, _I_ made the leopard bed, _I_ build the bonfires at night, _I_ do most of the hunting, I'm even the one who found the cave on the first day. You've just been freeloading this whole time."

"You're right, you're right. It's all yours." the redhead replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. "You're the queen. Is Her Highness gonna banish me for not pulling my weight?"

"She might sentence you to a beheading if you don't stop givin' her lip..." She muttered.

"Ah, my apologies." He tried to adopt a solemn expression. "How should I atone for my crimes, Your _Graciousness_?" His face split into a grin when she gave him a look.

"Why don't you go rustle up your _own_ dinner tonight and I might let you use the pelt when I'm not on it."

"Done." That was all the motivation he needed. Shanks got up and picked up one of the spears Grace made and headed into the jungle.

* * *

Grace enjoyed the peace and quiet by weaving herself a net out of rope so that she could do a little fishing. She wasn't going to be using the net itself for catching fish, however. She wanted to try her hand at spear-fishing, and she'd need something to put her fish into when she caught them. So she was really making more of a mesh bag that would hang at her hip than a net.

When it was complete, she grabbed a spear and headed for the shallow water near some rocks that jutted out into the ocean where she knew some fish liked to hang about. Predictably, they swam away when she first entered their space, so Grace held still in the knee-deep water until they were eventually comfortable enough to come back. She held her spear at the ready and when a fish swam close enough, she thrust her weapon forward. She ended up missing, but she didn't take it too hard. It was only her first time doing this.

After a couple of tries, she got the hang of it, and after a little while she had a couple of fish in her mesh sack. She was in the middle of trying to spear another when a voice threw her aim off. "So, I caught a boar to eat later. I can go lay on the leopard now, right?" Grace picked up her spear, looking where her prey had escaped and then glared up at the redhead squatting on the big rock above her. A least he had the decency to look sheepish when he realized he made her lose a fish. "Sorry..."

"Do what you want. I don't care." She turned away from him to get back to catching her own food. When she added another fish to her bag, she noticed that Shanks hadn't left. He was laying on his side with his head propped up on his hand, eyes on her. "Do you need something, Red Hair?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Then why are you still here? All that fuss earlier about the pelt..." Grace looked back at the water, preparing to thrust her weapon at another fish.

"It's boring over there all my myself..." he replied. The marine didn't answer him. "How come you're not bored?"

"Because, unlike you, I'm actually finding ways to occupy myself." She speared another fish. "I'm sure there's something more productive you could be doing right now."

"Probably." Shanks agreed, but he made no move to actually do something better with his time. He seemed content to lay there and gaze out the sea while Grace continued doing her own thing.

When she was satisfied she had enough to feed herself for the day, she climbed up onto one of the rocks and sat down with her bag of fish beside her. She took out a knife and started gutting them. She heard Shanks scoot closer and side-eyed him as he took out a knife of his own to help.

Grace hated to admit it, but she couldn't deny the sense of camaraderie that had started to take form over the last few days. Shanks seemed to have learned exactly which buttons to push to get a rise out of her, but he also had the sense to know when she'd enough and he'd ease off and give her just enough space to relax. They bickered most of the time, but there was no real hostility. Her insults no longer had any real bite. Grace was mildly annoyed with herself because of it. _Getting along with a pirate...What's wrong with me?_ Not for the first time, she looked within herself and felt around for her resolve as a marine, for the part of her that wanted to just shoot him and be done with it. But it just wasn't there.

"Um..." The redhead's voice snapped her out of her bout of mild self-loathing and she turned her head to glare at him. His eyes flicked to the fish in her hand and asked, "Something wrong?" Grace looked at the sliced up mess in her hand, realizing she had taken out her frustrations on the poor creature and cut it to ribbons. She sighed and just dropped the whole thing into the ocean rather than try and cook it later.

"Nothing." She murmured. _It's all your fault_ _. I'm not supposed to get along with you._ Shanks was nothing like the version of a pirate that she had in her head and she didn't know how to feel about it.

* * *

With a full belly and a warm fire crackling peacefully in the quiet night, Shanks flopped face first onto the fuzzy leopard hide beside a mildly annoyed marine. "Get off." She grumbled.

"You said I could lay on it if I got my own dinner..."

"I said you could lay on it when I'm not on it."

"So stingy..." He didn't make any attempt to move, and to his delight, Grace didn't seem too keen on using any energy to make him leave.

"You're insufferable."

"Love you too, gorgeous." That earned him a swat on the back of his head. He chuckled. He flipped over and rested his hands on his his stomach as he looked at the twinkling stars in the sky. A comfortable silence fell and Shanks took the time to just lay there and think about all that had occurred over the last few days. It had been relatively uneventful save for the leopard attack in the beginning. He smiled when he thought of Grace coming to his rescue. He tried to get to know her a little bit after that, but she guarded her personal information like a deep dark secret. From what little he _did_ manage to weasel out of her, he thought he could safely say that she rarely had any actual fun. It sounded like all she did was train and "conserve her energy," which was surely code for "sit around and wait for something to happen."

Shanks frowned thoughtfully. He knew that their time together was limited. At some point somebody would come along and find them and they'd go back to their own lives. He thought it would be a shame to leave all this behind without getting Grace to really loosen up.

He looked over at her. She was on her back with her eyes closed and one hand behind her head. Shanks propped himself up on his elbow, facing her. "Hey, sweetheart?"

He heard a deep sigh, and then, "What?"

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" he asked.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to stare at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"I mean it's kind of boring just sitting around waiting for a ship to show up, right?"

"So?"

" _So_ , I thought maybe we could change things up a little?"

"And do what?"

"I dunno. Maybe go explore the island a little bit?" He said hopefully.

"And what if we miss a ship going by while we're gone?"

"Wait for the next one?"

Grace let out an annoyed huff. "I don't want to spend any more time here than I need to, Shanks!" At the sound of his name, his mouth fell open slightly. That was probably the first time she had actually referred to him by it. She didn't seem to notice though. "I have a _job_ I would like to get back to, unlike you."

The redhead could see she was getting agitated and tried to fix that. "Well we could build one of those big signal fires? If anybody sails by, then they'll see it and come looking for us, right?"

"What makes you think I even want to go exploring with you, Red Hair?"

"It'll be fun, doll! Just watch."

"I didn't say I go yet."

"Yet?"

Grace saw him grinning and rolled her eyes. "Piss off, or go to sleep or something."

"I'll just ask again tomorrow." Shanks decided.

"Oh goodie." Her words were dripping with sarcasm.

* * *

When Grace roused from her slumber the next morning, she noticed that Shanks was no where to be seen. She didn't _really_ care where he went off to, but she thought it was kind of odd. He usually slept in a little longer. When she sat up to stretch, her eyes settled on a rather large pile of dry sticks and leaves a couple of feet away from the fire pit. _That wasn't there last night..._

"Hey! You're up! G'mornin' sweetheart."

Grace looked over her shoulder and saw Shanks emerge from the jungle with branches under his arm. "What are you doing?"

"Getting fuel for the signal fire." he replied. He tossed the branches onto the pile."You know, so we can go explore." When Grace rolled her eyes, he crouched down beside her. "C'mon, Gracie! I already did most of the work!"

"If you wanna explore so bad, then go."

"But I want you to come with me."

"Why?"

"It's boring by myself." Shanks sort of tilted his head head down and looked up at Grace in a way that vaguely reminded her of a sad puppy. Dark, soulful eyes and all.

She looked down her nose at him, and tried to maintain eye contact as she stared him down, but she broke first. He was just too much. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Go build the stupid signal fire." She closed her eyes when his face lit up. Damn him.

Shanks busied himself with making the fire as big as possible, and a little while later he was standing over the reluctant marine, expectant. She sighed, pushed herself off the leopard pelt, and grabbed a sword and a rifle because damned if she gonna wander around the jungle unarmed. She then turned towards the trees and walked into the wilderness.

For about ten minutes, neither of them said anything. There was just the sound of bugs and birds and their footsteps as they made their way through the dense vegetation. Then Shanks apparently got fed up with the sour look on Grace' face.

"Don't look so grumpy, Gracie. This is supposed to be fun!"

"Uh-huh." She replied with a scowl. She didn't see what was so great about an aimless journey through the jungle with no goal in mind.

"C'mon, lighten up! Just think of what could be waiting for us!" Shanks started walking backwards in front of her, smiling brightly as he tried to instill wonder in the marine.

"Like what?"

"Like..." Grace watched him struggle for an answer as he climbed up onto a bumpy boulder. "Like treasure! Or maybe—" Suddenly the 'boulder' underneath him moved and a low growl permeated the air. Shanks stumbled off of his perch and landed on the ground beside Grace just as the massive moving thing unfolded and a reptilian head lifted into sight.

"...Or a giant lizard?" Grace supplied with a frown at the pirate.

The redhead offered a sheepish smile. "Yeah, or that..."

The oversized reptile in front of them unfurled its body all the way and hissed at the teens, who decided it was time to go. They took off together, deeper into the jungle, with the animal following them with heavy steps. It was a little bit slower than them, and they were able to give themselves enough distance to dive behind a tree and some thick bushes without being seen. The lizard was still on their trail though. It's forked tongue flicked in and out of it's mouth, tasting the air for it's preys' scents.

Grace clicked her tongue, irate. She was about to turn to Shanks and tell him what quote/unquote great time she was having, but her mouth snapped shut when she saw he was already looking at her. More specifically, he was looking at her irritated expression.

He bowed his head and scratched the back of his neck. "You're not havin' fun, are you?" he murmured quietly. "Sorry, sweetheart. I just wanted you to have a good time, is all."

Something about his genuinely disappointed expression and tone struck a small, _traitorous_ , chord with Grace. Her head hung for a moment. _Damn it all, damn it all, damn it all..._ She whacked the back of her head against the tree behind her none too softly, frustrated, and then she darted out from their hiding spot. She drew her sword from its sheath, the sound drawing the beast's attention.

"Gracie, what're you—"

The lizard cut him off with a screeching hiss. "Come get me, ya bastard!" Grace yelled back at it with a 'come hither' motion from her hand. The reptile happily obliged and the two surged forward. Much like with the sea king in the past, Grace was driven by rage and frustration. Not even the lizard's hard scales could protect it from the bite of her blade. "Why don't—" _Slash_."—you just—" _Slash_. "—go to hell?!" _Slash._ "Huh?!" She was only partially aware of the fact that Shanks had jumped in to help. He stayed well out of the way, probably so he wouldn't get caught in front of her sword, but he still provided some support by occasionally distracting their opponent. Grace didn't stop until she drove the blade of her sword right into the beast's skull.

She stood there panting, rage subsiding, and then suddenly whirled around to face Shanks. She saw him freeze, eyes wide as he looked at her. She could only imagine what might have looked like. Like a madwoman, probably. "Well?"

He blinked at her. "Huh?"

"You said we were gonna have fun. Are you gonna deliver on that, or what?"

Shanks blinked again and then let out a breathy chuckle. "I will, I will! I promise!" he replied with a dopey, boyish smile.

Grace inwardly cursed herself for being glad to see him smile again.

* * *

 **A/N: Uh-oh! Look's like Grace is actually warming up to our beloved redhead!  
**

 **See you in the next one, guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

 **Loosen Up  
**

Shanks couldn't help himself. He looked over his shoulder again, at the girl trailing along behind him. Grace shot him increasingly perplexed looks every time their eyes met, especially when a smile tugged at his lips. Eventually, she broke the silence to ask, "Is there somethin' wrong with you...?"

He chuckled. "No, no, nothin's wrong." he replied. She made a face.

"Well, you're weirding me out..."

"Sorry, darlin'." he said with a grin. He was just happy. He didn't know how to convey that to the marine, seeing as how she still looked like she'd rather be elsewhere. But even so, she stuck with him. Despite that he led her into trouble, she still gave him another chance. It kinda made Shanks giddy. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had stalked off back to the beach after their run-in with the lizard. But she surprised him. Maybe there was a chance she'd warm up to him a little more. He glanced at her again with a smile.

"Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop _looking_ at me like that."

"How am I supposed to resist looking at something so beautiful?" He grinned when he saw twinge of pink dusting her cheeks. It was easy getting her to blush.

"Would you stop saying shit like that?!" She snapped.

"Oh, lighten up, sweetheart...I say it 'cause I mean it."

"I don't want to hear that from a pirate." She said flatly, and the redhead's smile faded just a little.

"Fine, fine..." he replied. "Let's keep going then."

Before much longer, they were met with the distinct sound of a waterfall off in the distance. They decided to head towards it, since it was a change from the same old jungle. When Shanks pushed past some huge leaves, he was left breathless at what he saw. There was a rather large pool of water before him, right at the base of a tall cliff. The water was crystal clear except near the cliff itself, where the waterfall made it white and frothy. Shanks wondered where the water was coming from, way up there. The best part, though, was the way mist near the cliff caught the light and formed a rainbow. It looked like something out of a storybook.

Shanks looked over at Grace and saw that she had the same expression on her face that he must have had. When she noticed his eyes on her, she composed herself. "It's just a waterfall..." She muttered.

"Yeah..." The redhead bumped her shoulder with his own. "But we never would've seen it if we didn't come out here." She turned her face away, so Shanks leaned over to get in her field of vision. "C'mon, you have to admit the view is pretty worth it."

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and then huffed. "I guess that's true..." She admitted reluctantly.

Shanks smiled and looked back at the clear water in front of them. Then he got an idea. He placed his hat safely on the ground before he kicked off his sandals and pulled his shirt over his head.

"What are you doing?" Grace asked.

He smiled at her. "Let's go swimming!"

"Wha—" Before she could say anything, he darted off the edge of a rock and cannon-balled into the pool. It was _cold_. He shuddered when he surfaced. "Brr..." He pushed his hair from his eyes and looked up at the ledge he jumped from. Grace was standing there with her arms crossed, unimpressed.

"You could go swimming at the beach." she said.

"Yeah, but since we're here, we should make the most of it." Shanks replied. "Come in with me! It's nice!"

"What for?"

"You came with me 'cause I promised you fun, right? Well you're gonna have to loosen up for that to work, dearest." The redhead kept his eyes on her, hoping she'd take his word for it. He didn't know how else to convince a grumpy workaholic marine to just let everything go for a while and goof off. He watched her sigh and look off into the jungle, seemingly ignoring him. Shanks waited so long for her to change her mind, he almost gave up and carried on swimming on his own, but he heard her sigh again. His heart leaped in his chest when she placed her sword on the ground and moved to take off her boots.

The pirate heard her muttering under her breath. "If any of the others knew I was doing this..."

"I won't tell if you won't." he said. She rolled her eyes and took off the white tee-shirt she was wearing—which actually made Shanks feel a little heat rise to his face because he was a simple boy and _a girl was taking off her shirt_ —and that left her in a navy blue tank-top that had the marine logo on the front. _How many layers do marines have to wear?_ The random thought left his mind when Grace found some stepping stones leading into the pool. As soon as her foot enter the water she grimaced.

"The ocean's warmer..." she mumbled.

"It's also very salty and not much fun to swallow by accident. Or on purpose, I guess." he retorted. Don't get him wrong, he _loved_ the sea. But still.

"Whatever..." She steeled herself and dived in. She tried to hide her chattering teeth when she got closer to him. "Okay, now what...?"

"Now..." Shanks pushed himself a little closer, smiling. "Now you have to stop thinking so hard about this!" He replied. "Just let out your inner child and let her decide for you!" He saw the doubtful look on her face and poked her forehead, which she smacked away. "There has to be one in there somewhere!"

* * *

 _My inner child, huh?_ Truth be told, Grace didn't know exactly why she was going along with this, but she was and at that point she thought it was too late to turn back. So she thought back to her childhood, or at least the part of it that could be considered a childhood. _That was a really long time ago.._. She thought wistfully.

She shook her head, chasing those thoughts away. "...I don't think 'Sharks and Minnows' works very well with only two people..." She heard a light chuckle from the redhead.

"That's true." he said. He started swimming in circles around her. "Same goes for 'Marco Polo'." he added and Grace hummed in affirmation. "We could..." He trailed off for a second. "We could have a little competition?" He said with a gleam in his eyes. Grace raised an eyebrow at him. "Whoever touches the bottom of the pool and gets back to the surface wins."

"We can't even tell how deep it is." She replied.

"Then we'll find out, won't we?" They put a little distance between them so they'd have room to dive. "Ready? One...Two...Three...Go!"

Grace took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the surface. She glanced to the side to see Shanks was just a little bit ahead of her, and that woke up her competitive side. She swam faster. She'd had just about enough of losing to the redhead. She passed the pirate by and continued the journey down below. The pool was a little bit deeper than she thought, but she still made it and touched the sediment at the bottom. As she turned around to ascend back to the top, she saw Shanks was still a few feet behind her. She stuck out her tongue at him as she passed him to get back to the surface and she saw him smile in response.

She resurfaced first, and when the pirate came up after her, she said. "Ha! I won!" She felt a little silly at the childish sense of satisfaction she gleaned from a contest that had no real stakes. But still, she _won_!

Shanks laughed. "Yeah, you did!" He didn't seem too bothered by the loss. "Do you wanna go again?" Grace nodded and got ready to dive just like before.

Upon hearing 'Go!' the marine dove down. Nothing much changed from last time. She reached the bottom first and smirked at the redhead on the way up. Just when she was about to break the surface, she felt a hand wrap around her her ankle and yank her back down. A flash of read rocketed past her and she glowered at the pirate when she came up. "You cheated!" She splashed water at him disdainfully.

A guilty, but not at all apologetic smile was offered in response. "Well, what am I supposed to do when you're so much faster than me?" he asked. His expression became thoughtful. "It's weird, though. I could've sworn I out-swam you before..."

Grace thought back to the _wet gunpowder_ incident, and remembered how she made Warren time her speed afterwards. She wasn't about to admit she went through all that trouble just to catch him, though. "You're imagining things." she replied. "Anyway, that's no excuse for cheating! I should've known; you're still a damned pirate in the end." She said that, but even to her own ears, her words didn't seem to have much bite.

Shanks chucked and swam a circle around her. "Aw, don't say that, sweetheart. We can go for another round, right? This time I'll play fair."

"And I'm supposed to take a cheater's word for it?" Shanks only smiled at her until she agreed. "Fine..."

They continued on challenging each other to their little race. Sometimes Shanks would actually win—fair and square, he kept his word—but for the most part Grace seemed to have him beat. She was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed herself despite everything.

* * *

Shanks covered his mouth and yawned as he laid there on the sunny rock. It was warm and quiet and he could easily take a nap there if he wanted. It was a little bit past midday. He and Grace had gotten bored with their little game a while ago and decided to dry off by sunning themselves next to the pool. He turned his head to sneak a look at the girl beside him. Her eyes were closed and there wasn't a trace of tension to be found on her face. Shanks smiled. Just like he thought, letting loose did wonders for her. _Mission accomplished._

He let his thoughts wander. It seemed like it was a lifetime ago when he saved her. So much had changed between them in the span of a few days. The island was a little limbo land where _pirate_ and _marine_ didn't matter. They were just a couple of teens surviving in the wilderness. Disappointment washed over him when he remembered that it wouldn't last forever. Shanks wasn't really surprised by it, but it did suddenly hit him just how badly he _didn't_ want to be Grace's enemy again. He liked her and all her prickly reactions to his ribbing. Maybe a little too much. _Or maybe a lot too much.._. He amended.

The redhead rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand and just looked at the girl beside him as though trying to burn this memory into his head. He didn't know whether or not he'd ever get see her all relaxed and content like this again. The claws of lament tickled at his chest. _Weird.._. He thought. He didn't usually dwell on sad things.

Grace must've felt his gaze because she opened her eyes and looked somewhat startled by the intensity in his gaze. "What?"

He gave her a pensive smile. "Nothin', gorgeous." he replied. "There's just nothing else as nice to look at."

She rolled her eyes and sat up. "Ugh."

Shanks' smile turned amused and he turned onto his back, using his elbows to hold him up. "What?"

Grace shifted to look at him, leaning on her arm. "You just have to go and say weird things all the time."

"You mean _nice_ things, angel eyes."

"Hm...No no, that's definitely what I meant."

The redhead chuckled. "Why can't you just take a compliment?"

"The words of a pirate don't mean anything to me." She huffed.

"You say that, but you trusted me enough to come play with me." When she scowled at him, he stuck out his tongue.

"It's not like anyone would ever believe you." she replied.

"Yeah...Good thing I don't need anybody to believe me, because _I_ know it's true." He flashed a disarming smile. "I'll always know, sweetheart. And it'll be one of my favorite memories." _I mean it_. He added in his head.

"Oh shut it."

The sound of cannon fire cut their banter short. Shanks was simultaneously ecstatic and crestfallen at the sound. He recognized the Oro Jackson's cannons, having heard them countless times before. It was a bittersweet moment when he and Grace got up to gather their things.

* * *

Grace used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she gazed out at the ships engaged in battle. There were three marine battleships and one pirate ship. It was almost as if things had picked up where they left off during the storm days ago. Grace knew it was the remains of Garp's fleet, because even from this distance she could see makeshift repairs to to damage caused by the storm.

"Well, I guess our vacation is over." Shanks said beside her. She thought he sounded disappointed. "Well, it was nice while it lasted, huh?"

"Hm..." is all she replied with. She couldn't deny that some parts of the experience weren't completely awful.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the redhead grinning at her, so she frowned back at him. "You're not gonna deny it?" he asked. He chuckled. "I've grown on you haven't I?"

"No, you have not!"

"Liar."

She looked away. "You're delusional!"

"Gracie's a liar! _Tsk tsk_ , and here I thought she was one of the noble good guys!"

"You—Argh, forget it, I'm leaving!" Grace started walking down the beach towards the water where she saw a dinghy rowing towards the shore. There were a couple of men in boat wearing marine uniforms.

"Hey wait!" She turned to look at Shanks who was pointing down the beach at their camp. "What about your leopard?"

"You're the one who wanted it so bad, so just take it." She replied with a shrug. It's not like she needed it.

"Really?" Grace waved dismissively and the pirate smiled. "Alright then...See you around, sweetheart."

"Bye, Shanks." She thought she saw him brighten for some reason but she brushed it off because her comrades had gotten closer and started waving. She waved right back waded into ocean to meet them halfway.

"Why'd you go and get yourself marooned, lass? Do you know what we went through lookin' for ya?"

After Grace maneuvered herself into the dinghy, she looked at Warren flatly. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Hey, at least she ain't fish food." said the other marine in the boat. He wasn't as big as Warren, but he was more angular. He had disheveled ashy brown hair that was long enough to reach his shoulders. His eyes were light green and there was stubble on his chin. Grace recognized him but they never talked so she forgot his name. "Hey, ah..." he pointed at the shore. "That guy's a pirate, ain't he? Shouldn't we go catch him?"

Grace felt a twinge of panic, and then a pang of guilt. It felt like a small betrayal, but she really didn't want to go chase Shanks down. How could she? "I...don't think that's in our best interest." She nodded towards the marine ships. They weren't in great condition. Meanwhile, the Pirate King's ship looked almost as good as new. Because of course it did.

"She's right." said Warren. "We hafta regroup and fix our shit." He threw his oars at Grace. "Here, it's your turn to row."

She looked at him incredulously. "I've been stranded for days. I'm exhausted." She really was, what with fighting the lizard and hiking through the jungle and racing a pirate all day.

"Yeah, well I had to row this damned boat all the way here. It's somebody else's turn."

"Then make him do it." she nodded at the other guy.

"Can't do it." The brunette lifted up his arm, and Grace finally noticed the cast wrapped around his wrist and fingers. He wouldn't be able to hold an oar with that hand. "Sorry."

"Then why the fuck are you here?"

"To help search the island for you. I guess I didn't have to though." He had the gall to laugh.

Grace grumbled under her breath and started rowing.

* * *

 **A/N: And that concludes their little island adventure. I hope you stick around for what's in store!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

 **Guilty Conscience  
**

Grace was sure she'd have a hard time getting back into the swing of things. She felt like she had been tainted by her time with Shanks, like there was a tiny little seed of doubt in her brain telling her that pirates weren't all the same. That they weren't all demons who relished in the pain of others. She struggled with the thought, because it threatened to open old wounds and make her face the fact that maybe she was being unfair. Because Shanks wasn't the only one she knew who challenged her idea of what a pirate was. But that line of thinking was off limits. Whenever her thoughts started going down that road, Grace slapped her cheeks and started cleaning her weapons. It happened a more often than she liked.

She had just started taking apart her pistol for maintenance when somebody spoke up. "Didn't you just clean that an hour ago?"

She looked up and glowered at the brunette from before. She learned his name was Tully. "Mind your own business."

"You've been cleaning your weapons a lot." he observed, scratching his chin. Grace ignored him to wipe down pieces of her gun, but he seemed to recognize the task for what it really was. "What's eating you, kid?"

"None of your business." she replied.

Tully shrugged and picked up a comic book.

They were in the rec room, if it could even be called that. There were a couple of couches, a card table where a game of poker was in progress, a dart board on the wall, some board games no one ever played and some bikini mags and comics that nearly everyone thumbed through. Grace didn't know why she bothered to hang out in there. She didn't want to socialize, and there wasn't anything that interested her in there. She sighed and continued the monotonous task of piecing her pistol back together while trying to keep her mind from wandering.

Within a few weeks after that, an urgent call for help had Garp's fleet changing coarse and sailing to small island. A truly sadistic pirate crew had taken over the place and made a game out of terrorizing the locals. Hearing about what they said and did made Grace' stomach churn. Seeing it with her own eyes was even worse. Kidnapped women, children left without homes, men tortured a killed for resisting...These pirates had been no match for the marines and were dispatched swiftly, but the damage was done. When Grace looked around at the haunted faces of the island's surviving residents, she felt hatred coiling in her gut. She latched onto it and willed it to seep into her very bones. It burned, but it was familiar. Welcome, even. She thought she lost it. Having it back eased her uncertainty.

Grace remained reassured that she'd gotten her resolve back for the next few months, but then one day her doubts resurfaced. The fleet was docked at a large, bustling port town that had a heavy government influence. A sea king had surprised them that morning so they stopped to get the hole in the hull repaired as well as stock up on food and ammo while they were at it. With little else to do, Grace wandered through the town with her hands in her pockets. She looked around at all the vendors selling their merchandise and all the people out and about.

Her eyes drifted over a straw hat over in the fish market and she stopped in her tracks, caught off guard. _It can't be..._ It's not like straw hats were rare or anything. She saw a stack of them being sold at stall a while back. And this was island was aligned with the government; somebody would have reported seeing the Roger Pirates if they were there. But Grace had to be sure.

She started towards where the hat had been swallowed up by the crowd. Her eyes scanned the sea of people all around her, both dreading and looking forward to what she might find. She didn't now how long she was at it, but she was just about ready to brush off what she saw as her imagination when an all too familiar person bumped into her. He was looking at her with wide, surprised eyes that no doubt mirrored her own.

"Gracie?"

"What the—"

"Ehh?!" She and Shanks were both startled by the loud outburst. It came from that clownish fellow the redhead seemed to like hanging out with. "What's that demon marine doing here?!" the red nosed boy asked loudly. The people around them all turned to see what the commotion was about.

Grace bristled under the curious gazes. It was a lot of attention all of a sudden. "I should be the one asking why there are pirates here!" she retorted. The people around them started murmuring to each other, shying away from the redhead and the clown. This town was _not_ known for being a friend to their kind and Grace had to wonder what possessed the Pirate King to stop here.

"Ah..." Shanks stepped away from the marine and leaned closer to his friend, shifting the position of the big fish draped over his shoulder. "I think we should go..."

"You think?!" The two took off, and Grace saw the redhead spare a glance over his shoulder at her. She found herself hesitating for a split second before forcing her legs to move and going after them.

The townsfolk were perfectly willing to cooperate with her, since she was a marine. The crod parted so that she could easily get through and bystanders even pointed her in the right direction if she lost sight of the pirates. She should be satisfied that things were actually working in her favor for once. Alas, there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the situation. She almost caught herself hoping something would happen to hinder her efforts so he could escape. _No_. She steeled herself. _I can't let him get to me.._. She clung onto every ounce of resolve she had in her body. Just because they kind of got along before didn't mean she could stop doing her job.

* * *

Shanks actually found himself getting a little frustrated. As laid back as he normally was, it was hard to try to find a place to hide when everyone who saw him kept pointing him out to the marine behind him. Or should he say _marines_. All the commotion had attracted more onto the scene. The whole town probably knew his crew was there by now. He chanced a look over his shoulder to see the marines gaining on him and had to make a choice. Did he try to hold on to the big fish that was supposed to be for dinner that night and risk getting caught, or did he drop the fish to get away and face getting an earful from Rayleigh?

He opted for dropping the fish. A little scolding was far from the worst thing in the world.

With the weight off his shoulder, Shanks was much more agile. Buggy seemed to have had the same idea, because he was no longer carrying anything either. "Let's split up, Buggy! At least one of us has to get help!" the redhead said. He didn't think they'd be able to just outright escape like usual since the whole town was more than cooperative with the marines. Shanks could only see this situation ending with a battle.

He and Buggy parted ways, each darting down a narrow street in opposite directions. Lady Luck must have smiled on him in that moment because he somehow managed to put enough distance between himself and the marines to duck under an unhitched wooden cart and slip through the large wooden door behind it before anyone could see him. Once inside, he realized it was a stable for horses up for rent. The lighting was dim and it smelled of hay. A couple of horses confined to their stalls looked at him curiously. He ignored them and hastily ducked into an empty stall before any stable hands came by, and then he simply waited.

He heard orders to find him being shouted outside, followed by heavy footsteps on the cobblestone outside running by. He stayed where he was, crouched in the corner of the stall for a few minutes, listening. Just when he almost thought it was safe to come out, he heard the door swing open. He froze, hardly daring to breath as the sound of boots on a wooden floor broke the silence. The steps were slow, deliberate, and Shanks pictured a marine peering into each stall with a weapon in hand. His hand traveled to the hilt of the sword at his hip, his muscles taut and ready to spring into action.

Shanks saw one shiny black boot enter his hiding spot and made to unsheathe his weapon, but he froze again when his eyes flicked up to the person's face. Careful blue eyes regarded him.

"Grace..." The redhead pulled himself up to his feet. "I—"

"What was your captain thinking? You are aware this is a government town, right?"

"Ah, well..." Shanks thought about how Captain Roger had sauntered off to a bar with Rayleigh near where they docked, cackling about how no one could catch him when someone brought up their location. "Yeah, I guess he kind of likes taunting you guys..." he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway..." He stepped away from his corner, eyes flitting between Grace and the stall's exit. He quelled his usual playfulness when it threatened to surface. There was a certain vibe rolling off of the marine that told him banter wouldn't be welcome at the moment. "Do you think there's any chance that we could just...not do this?" he asked.

To his disappointment, the marine unsheathed her blade—thankfully leaving her pistol holstered—and frowned at him. "You think I'm just going to let you go? My job is to put pirates behind bars. Did you forget that?" she asked. Her eyes were hard, and so was her frown.

"Of course not..." Shanks replied. He was a little taken aback. They had parted on such good terms last time they saw each other. "I just thought that since we had such a good time before, you could...cut me a little slack?" It was probably just wishful thinking on his part, though.

"Cut you some slack? You mean just let a pirate escape?" She scoffed. "Not only is that treason, but you think that just because we splashed around in the water that we're best friends now?" She pointed her weapon at him. "You're mistaken."

Shanks wondered what happened to the relaxed Grace he had gotten to know on the island. Or even what happened to the fiery one he had known before that. The one standing before him was icier, more guarded. "C'mon, doll...I don't wanna fight you..." he said quietly, and it was true.

"Too bad. I'm not letting you out of here." she replied. "Whatever happened before doesn't matter."

 _Ouch_. The redhead pursed his lips, searching the marine's eyes. All he saw was a cautious resolution. "Is that right?" He tipped the brim of his hat forward slightly, hiding his eyes for a moment, and then looked back at her with a carefully blank face. He decided to take a gamble. "If it really doesn't mean anything to you, then strike me." he said. He saw her eyes narrow. "Go ahead. If you're gonna arrest me, then do it."

They gazed at each other for an impossibly long time, neither side willing to budge. Finally, Grace moved, and Shanks steeled himself in preparation for an attack and possibly a broken heart. The sword thrust right past his face, but he didn't flinch, didn't look away. The marine stepped closer, changing the position of the blade so it pressed under his chin, but he still didn't move. He kept his eyes on her, ignoring the pounding in his rib-cage as he watched her resolve crack and doubt flit across her face.

Grace backed away, looking to the side at anything but him with a troubled expression. Shanks felt like his heart was in this throat, like it would just leap out of his body all together as he took a tentative step towards the exit. Grace didn't move. She just kept looking at one spot on the wall, jaw clenched. He made for the exit, but then paused. "Grace—"

"Just _go_." She said stiffly. She just stood there, struggling with some internal battle that Shanks knew he wouldn't understand.

He reached out and brushed a lock of her hair affectionately. "See you, sweetheart..." With that, he slipped out of the stable feeling a little lightheaded from the fluttery feeling in his chest.

* * *

Grace pounded the stable's wall with her fist. _What's wrong with me?_ She rubbed her face as though that would get rid of the images swimming behind her eyelids. A smiley redhead teasing her lightheartedly, the infectious carefree attitude, the friendly laughter, then the challenge in his eyes when he stood before only moments ago. She cursed herself for being so soft. _I've been compromised.._. She thought grimly. He was there right in front of her, not putting up a fight at all and she couldn't do it. She just just contradicted her own words and backed off. All because of some fond memories of island silliness.

Uncertainty gnawed at her mind as she wandered out of the stable and back into the busy street outside. She didn't know what to do. She wished she had her gun back before she met Shanks. Then this whole situation might not have been a problem in the first place. But it was too late. The damage was done and now Grace was a traitor who let a pirate escape.

 _But no one has to know that_. That thought brought on a wave of guilt, but what other option was there? Assisting in a pirate's escape on it's own would land her in prison, but helping a pirate from the most wanted crew in the world? Grace shuddered to think what the punishment for _that_ could be. Especially for a marine.

She sighed and cleared her face of any trace of her troubles. She had to at least pretend she was still on the hunt.

She heard gunfire a few streets down and hurried towards it. The closer she got the more people she saw running away. Well, this wasn't unexpected. Having Garp and Roger both on land only ever lead to a fierce and, frankly, destructive battle. So Grace shoved aside all of her worries, hoping she could redeem herself by joining in.

* * *

 **A/N: Fun Fact! This chapter was supposed to turn out more "fun" but I started having different ideas and writing them in and I turned up with this!**

 **Anyways, stay tuned for more!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I just want tell you guys how much I love you! I'm so glad you're liking it so far!  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight:  
**

 **Levelheaded Companion**

Gun maintenance was becoming a compulsive behavior. Grace was aware of this. Evidently, so were the other marines. They didn't say anything, but she could see it in their when they stumbled across her and her dismantled firearm wherever she was at the time. In the locker room, in the rec room, in the crow's nest, curled up with her back against the mast on the deck...Her crew-mates were concerned. But if anyone mentioned her behavior—or even so much as opened their mouth—they were rewarded with a snappy insult or just told to get lost. She was being mean. She kinda felt bad about it, but her self control was shot. She hadn't been sleeping well, and not just because guilt was eating away at her.

In the days after meeting Shanks again, old memories started to resurface. At some point in time, they had been considered happy, but now they just tore her up inside. When she closed her eyes, the redhead morphed into somebody else, somebody that had her eyes and hair. She started having nightmares more frequently. She was exhausted.

She ended up taking it out on whoever got too close. Besides Vice Admiral Garp, the only ones that didn't start avoiding her were Warren and Tully. The former would make some snide remark whenever she was rude to him and shut her up, and the latter just wasn't affected. Any mean thing she had to say just rolled off him like water off a duck's back.

Grace was about to start taking apart her pistol again when somebody placed their rifle on the coffee table in front of her. She looked up at Warren. "The fuck do you want?" she asked.

"I just figured that since your gun's probably squeaky clean already, you could clean mine instead, lass." he replied. "Ya know, so you're at least bein' more productive that way."

She considered telling him to fuck off, but...her pistol really couldn't be any cleaner than it was. And it really didn't matter what gun she was cleaning, she just needed something to do with her hands. She put down her pistol and snatched up the rifle. Warren strolled out of the rec room, leaving her all alone with her thoughts. But she didn't want to think, so she swiftly started disassembling the rifle. She was partway through cleaning the barrel when somebody walked in.

It was Tully. "Oh. There you are." He crossed the room and stood on the other side of the table. "Maintaining your guns again?"

"This is Warren's." Grace replied.

"Oh." He stood there for a second and then held out his shotgun. "Wanna do mine too?"

She glared at him. "What am I, everybody's slave?" she snapped. But she reached for his gun all the same.

Tully went over to the dartboard and plucked the darts from it. "Nah, we just resist pawning our boring work onto somebody else." With the darts in hand, he moved away from the board to stand behind a little strip of tape on the floor. "Speaking of..." He spared a glance at the guns and the cleaning kit on the table. "You seem kind of, um...obsessed."

She didn't reply, and thankfully Tully didn't push it. He just threw his darts. The time passed by in relative silence, until Grace finished maintenance on all the guns in front of her. She pushed herself to her feet with a sigh, suddenly restless. "Your gun's done." She started towards the exit.

"Wait!"

Grace paused mid-step and raised an eyebrow at the brunette.

"Um..." He scratched his chin. "Wanna play darts? Or a card game?"

She couldn't be sure, but she thought he was acting kinda shifty. She narrowed her eyes. "...What are you hiding?"

"What? Nothing! I'm not hiding anything!" His eyes darted around the room rapidly, settling on the board games on the shelf. "You wanna play monopoly? Let's play monopoly, kiddo!" Grace promptly exited the rec room and made her way onto the deck, ignoring the other marines who practically dived out of her path.

She looked around for anything suspicious, anything that would require someone to distract her. She froze when her gaze landed on the silhouette of an island in the distance. She recognized the shape of those mountains. Suddenly, she remembered that it was July and swore. "Son of a—" Grace turned on her heel and marched towards the helm. "Vice Admiral Garp, you bastard!"

The man standing near the wheel—not steering it, that was someone else' job—slowly turned his eyes to the steaming marine. "Somebody was supposed to be occupying you."

"We did our best." Tully's voice beside her made Grace jump. She hadn't realized he followed her. "There wasn't anything else we could've done."

"Yeah, we could only do so much to stall her." Warren added. He was sitting on the staircase leading up to the helm. The pieces started falling into place.

"...Is that why you had me clean your gun?" When the blond shrugged, Grace threw his rifle at him. "You fucker!"

He caught it easily. "She-devil." he retorted.

"It's just a little birthday vacation, Everett." Garp piped in.

"I don't _need_ a vacation!"

"Yes you do; you look like you're gonna keel over."

"And you've been actin' a right bitch for a week now, so this is just as much for us as it is you." said Warren.

"Yeah, and you clearly have some issues to work out, so..." said Tully.

Grace knew when she was outnumbered. She begrudgingly resigned herself to her fate. She supposed it could've been worse. It _had_ been a long time since she'd been home, if she could call it that. She kept her eyes fixed on the island as it drew closer. As the ship got nearer to the wharf, Grace thought she could make out someone familiar standing on one of the docks.

"Alright, boys, time for faze two." said Garp. Puzzled, Grace turned to question him, but someone grabbed her wrists and restrained them behind her back.

"What—" Of course she struggled. "Warren, what do you think you're doing?!"

"Sorry, lass." he said.

She would have cursed him out but she was distracted by Tully stripping her of her sword _and_ her pistol. "Garp says you can't have these during your time off."

She was speechless for exactly two seconds, and then she redoubled her efforts to escape. "You can't do this, ya crooked knuckledraggers! Crusty chodes! Seagull fucking cockbites!" Its not that she didn't understand _why_ they were disarming her, but she still didn't like it.

"Quit makin' this harder than it needs to be, lass!" The hoisted her over his shoulder, dodging her flailing limbs. "Hurry an' dock so we can be rid of her!"

Try as she might, Grace couldn't break free of Warren's hold. She punched and kicked but the guy was built like a brick wall. "What am I supposed to do if something happens!?"

"We're not gonna be more than a day away, so you can just call us up, lass. Now quit kickin' me."

She only stopped squirming when she saw the dock under his feet. When she was unceremoniously dropped onto her ass, she glared up at him. "May you be cursed with limp-dick for the rest of your life." He only waved his middle finger at her in response before turning around and boarding the ship. As it sailed away, Grace let herself fall onto her back. She suddenly felt like she could sleep for days.

A face leaned into her field of vision. "Long time no see, Snowball."

She blinked up at the girl standing over her. She had long, chestnut brown hair tied into a side ponytail and light brown eyes. She was wearing a minty green sundress. "Hi Valeska..." she replied. "They took my weapons."

"Yeah, I figured. The old guy told me you've gotten into a weird little habit? What's up with the compulsive gun maintenance?"

Grace sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't wanna think about anything."

"Hm..." Her best paused. "You look like you could about twenty hours of sleep...Nightmares kicking your ass?" The marine didn't respond. "Alight, up and at 'em, Gracie. Let's go home, okay? I'll make you some tea to help you sleep and you can conk out for a while, and then we can talk about what's bugging you. And then maybe figure out what you wanna do for your birthday."

Grace groaned as she sat up. "I don't care about my birthday."

"Yeah but I do. I wanna have some fun and eat cake and shit." Valeska snorted when the marine made a face. "What, you don't wanna spend time with me? Aren't I your best friend?" she asked, feigning a wounded tone.

"So my birthday is about you now?"

"It is if it'll get you hang out with me. Now get a move on, Snowball."

Grace went, and the brunette did exactly as she said she would. She made some chamomile tea that actually had the marine giving into her exhaustion. For the first time in the last weak and a half or so, she enjoyed a nice dreamless sleep.

* * *

Shanks looked around at the sleepy little town as he stepped off the ship. It was quiet and tranquil and no one really spared a second glance at the pirates moored in their shipyard. It must have been one of those neutral islands, the kind that didn't really care who stepped foot on it as long as no one caused any issues. It seemed like a nice place to kick back and relax for a while.

As he was looking around, he heard Buggy trying convince Rayleigh that he didn't have to babysit them.

"I know last time was pretty bad, but this island isn't a part of the government! There's no way it'll end up like that again!"

"You say that now, but you two have this funny way of getting into trouble even when it seems safe. Are you forgetting about the other times you failed to get the things we told you to?"

"But there was this demon marine after us those times!" Buggy insisted. Shanks tried not to smile at the thought of that marine. He still couldn't get over his last encounter with her. "She was scary! What were we supposed to do?" She certainly had given them no other choice but to come back empty handed more than once.

"It was _one_ marine. And not even a decently ranked one. You're telling me you couldn't handle that?" Rayleigh replied.

"Come on, Buggy. We messed up. Let's just deal with the consequences." Shanks said. The sooner they made the first mate believe they learned their lesson, the sooner they'd be able to move about freely without somebody breathing down their neck. Buggy grumbled under his breath but complied. They headed into town in search of a place that sold large quantities of alcohol.

When they started asking the locals, Shanks took the time to really take in the atmosphere of the island. It really did feel neutral in every way. It wasn't aligned with the government, but also not a pirate's turf. It didn't have too many people or any notable landmarks except for the lighthouse up on a cliff on the beach. The people looked like they were accustomed to the repetitive routine of civilian life and it didn't look like anyone wanted to change that. Shanks thought it was kinda boring. But he could see himself drinking himself silly and then stretching out on the beach for a snooze.

Shanks suddenly stopped in his tracks when he laid eyes on an unexpected sight. His companions walked on ahead of him when he slowed to a stop, eyes fixed on a familiar head of silvery white hair. His heart started beating just a little bit faster. There was no denying it; he kinda had a little crush on her. She wasn't wearing her uniform. Instead she was in civilian clothing. She wore a light purple tee-shirt and black sweat pants with some simple sandals on her feet. It was kind of odd seeing her in something casual.

Grace was looking somewhat irritated. Or maybe just on edge? She leaned slightly forward with her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring at a brunette girl who stood her ground with her arms also crossed. They seemed to be in the midst of some sort of stand off. Shanks wondered what was going on. He glanced towards Buggy and Rayleigh, neither of whom seemed to care or notice that he was getting distracted. He crept closer to the girls to hear their conversation. He partially hid behind the corner of a building and peered out curiously.

"Get out of the way."

"No."

" _Valeska._ " The way the name was said suggested the marine was trying to get her way, but exhausted her other options.

" _Grace._ " The brunette mimicked her tone, not at all moved. She sighed. "No guns allowed, remember? Not if you're just gonna do that thing you've been doing." It was only then that Shanks noticed they were standing near some sort of weapon shop.

"Let me at a sword at least."

"If I do that, I have a feeling you'll wind up sharpening or polishing it or whatever until your vacation's over. So no."

"But Val, you don't understand! I'm... I..." Grace broke her stance and ran a hand roughly through her hair. She was stressed.

The brunette shook her head. "You're gonna talk to me. I'm not letting you avoid that."

"But...But what if pirates show up, huh? This place isn't as safe as you think it is!"

"Well I don't see any pirates around here, do you?"

Grace opened her mouth to respond, but something made her glance in the eavesdropping redhead's direction. When their eyes met, a kind of accusatory look crossed her face. " _Yes_ , actually."

Shanks smiled a little apprehensively. He didn't know quite what to expect after their last meeting.

* * *

Valeska looked on with wide eyes as her friend stalked towards the boy who was backing away with his hands up and sheepish smile on his face. "Why?! Why do you show up everywhere I go?!"

"I don't really know myself, doll." the redhead responded. "I guess it's just fate..."

"Well, stop it! You only bring me trouble when you''re around!" Grace growled. "Why are you even here? What business does the Pirate King have in a place like this, huh?"

"Relax! We just came around looking for booze. No big deal!"

 _Strange_. Valeska looked between the bickering duo with a perplexed expression. Well Grace was bickering. The other one was trying not to piss her off. The boy was apparently a pirate. Grace wasn't being friendly, by any means, but she had yet to get violent. _What's going on here?_ The last time Valeska had seen the marine near a pirate, she hadn't hesitated to beat the ever-living hell out of him, or at least she tried to.

"Just scram already!" Grace's agitated voice made Valeska start paying attention again. "Get off my island!"

The redhead shrugged his shoulders. "I can't yet. We have to get what we came for. Anyway, I'm glad to see you're not all cold like last time." His body language had changed slightly from just a few minutes prior. It wasn't anything drastic, just a subtle switch from backing off to leaning a little forward and smiling as he looked directly at Grace.

 _Wait a second.._. "What is actually going on here...?" Valeska asked. The redhead seemed to remember that she was there and scratched his cheek sheepishly.

"Oh, right!" He stepped around Grace and held out his hand to the brunette. "I'm Shanks!" he said with a smile.

The brunette was about to reply when the redhead was yanked away by the back of his shirt. "Who said you could talk to her?" Grace asked as she pulled him away.

"I just wanted to introduce myself..." The pirate looked at her with a pout.

The marine rolled her eyes. "Fine. Pest, this is Valeska. Val, this is Pest. There, you know each other. Now get lost! I don't want to look at you anymore." she said looking increasingly irate.

The brunette thought that Shanks looked just a tad crestfallen. "You seem extra grouchy today, sweetheart...If that's possible."

"Would you just—"

"Oi, did you forget what we came here for?" The three teens looked over at the man who spoke, and Valeska felt her mouth fall slightly open. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, you know..." Shanks rubbed the back of his neck with a guilty grin. "Just hangin' out..."

"Go hang out somewhere else..." Grace grumbled, and the redhead pouted at her. She didn't seem to notice, though. She was glaring daggers at the infamous Silvers Rayleigh.

Valeska shook her head, regaining her composure. "Hey, Grace..." She grabbed the hem of her friend's shirt and tugged. "Don't you think it's time to go?" she murmured. She didn't want to risk the chance that the marine might end up doing something stupid in the event that the situation got worse. She was already aggravated and looked like she was about ready to challenge the Roger Pirates to get out of their town. Frankly, Valeska wouldn't put it past her to try, even if it was a fool's errand. "Seriously, let's go."

The marine hesitated for a moment, but she relented and started walking away with the brunette.

"I'll see you later, sweetheart!"

Valeska looked back in time to see Shanks smiling as Rayleigh gave him a light push to get him moving the way he wanted go. _What on earth...?_ She heard her friend huff in annoyance as they rounded a corner. "That bastard..." she muttered. A moment of silence went by after that with Grace lost in her own thoughts with a troubled expression.

The brunette needed details, about everything. "So...You wanna tell me what's up with lover-boy?"

"What," Grace looked at Valeska sharply, "are you talking about?"

She raised her eyebrows, and then gripped her friend's wrist. "C'mon, Gracie. Let's go have a little chat. It's about time we did."

* * *

 **A/N: Boy, Gracie is a little slow, huh? Anyway, I feel like not too much happened this chapter... Tell me what you guys think! See you next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

 **Getting there  
**

"Nope. Nu-uh. That can't be true. You're delusional."

Valeska sat at the kitchen table, leaning forward with her head propped up by her hand. She watched her friend pace back and forth along the length of the kitchen. "Am I, Grace?" she asked.

"Yes."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because it's stupid! I mean come _on_!" She came to a halt on the other side of the table and gripped the back of a chair, leaning over it to glare at the brunette.

Valeska smirked. "How would _you_ know? You spend all your time training and sharpening weapons and being generally crabby. You're not exactly an expert on the nuances of romance, Snowball." She stifled a laugh when the marine started pacing again. "He was flirting with you. How long has that been going on? When did you guys meet?"

Grace waved her hand dismissively. "I don't remember; it was months ago. And anyways, it doesn't matter!" Her hands slammed against the table. "Why are you being so nonchalant about this?!"

"Hm? Why should I be getting all worked up?"

"He's a _pirate_." she hissed.

"So? He seems nice."

Valeska could see the marines hands ball into fists on the table. "Do you _hear_ yourself?"

She looked at her friend levelly. "You know as well as I do they're not all bad." Grace clenched her jaw and broke eye contact to stare down at the table. "So that's what's been bothering you, huh? Well, you know what? I think this might be good for you." The marine scoffed and flopped unceremoniously onto a chair. "No, really. I think you're stressed 'cause you've been _lying_ to yourself for so long." Grace shot her glare, but remained silent. "Maybe your little admirer will help you see that."

"Shut up. He hasn't been..." she trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"Flirting. The word is flirting. It's not that hard to say." Valeska chuckled. "And yes he has. The pet names kind of give it away."

Grace shook her head. "No way, he's just trying to get under my skin."

"Maybe I should just ask him myself."

Grace slid down in her chair with a groan. "Please don't. Do you have any idea how bad it would be if any of my coworkers found out about that? What do you think the sentence is for somebody who fraternizes with Roger Pirates, huh?"

"No one'll know if you don't tell them." The brunette waved off the look her friend shot at her. "It's not like I'd be _helping_ them with anything. It's just a little chat. I wanna know how he got you all out of sorts."

The marine frowned. "I'm not all out of sorts..."

"You can't say that _now_!" Valeska admonished. "I don't know what went down between you two, but you're treating him different than any other pirate you've you've met recently."

"Don't remind me..." Grace muttered.

Valeska eyed the marine for a moment. "Are you gonna tell me what happened?" She waited for an answer, but the marine stayed stubbornly quiet. "Look, if you're not gonna tell me, then I really will ask that guy. He seems like he'll tell me. I'm kind of dying to know, at this point."

"Dying to know what?"

Despite the brunette's shock at the new arrival, she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing when Grace nearly jumped out of her own skin. She shot up in her seat, glaring hotly at the newcomer. "When did _you_ get here?!"

Outside, leaning against the windowsill, was none other than the redhead they were talking about. "Just a second ago..." he replied.

"Well, speak of the devil—Ouch!" Valeska reached under the table and rubbed her sore shin, scowling at Grace who was glaring right back at her.

"Were you guys talking about me?"

The brunette was expecting her friend to scoff at his pleased smile, but instead Grace sat back in her seat, arms crossed with a weary expression. "Mind your own business, you bonehead..."

"Doesn't it make it my business if _I'm_ the one you're gossiping about?"

"Sure, if you wanna talk about what an annoying weasel you are."

"So mean, Gracie..."

"When did you get the idea I was nice?"

"Well...You did let me have that leopard pelt..." Shanks said with a smile. "I still have it, you know."

"Go away."

"But I just got here—Oof!" The palm of Grace' hand shoved the redhead away from the window and she promptly slammed it shut. She yanked the curtains shut for good measure, and then she settled back into her seat with her arms crossed. She frowned defiantly at Valeska's unimpressed stare.

The shook her head and stood up to open the kitchen door that led outside. She ignored the marine's muttered 'I hate you' as she leaned out to address the pirate. "Hey. Wanna come in?"

* * *

Shanks had only just sat down when Valeska started grilling him about his relationship with Grace. He was happy enough to comply, so he told her all about how they met and everything that happened afterwards. He probably embellished his stories a little bit, and lingered on their island escapades a little too long, but it was his audience didn't seem to mind. Well, Grace rolled her eyes here and there, but she didn't correct him. By the time he reached the end of his story, Valeska had her thoughtful gaze trained on the marine, who avoided looking at her like the plague.

"Well, that's quite an interesting tale..." the brunette said after a moment. She looked back at the redhead, and he felt somehow vulnerable. Like she was passing some kind of judgement on him.

Shanks didn't really know what to say, so he just settled on, "You think so?"

"Hm." Her eyes flitted back to Grace. "Well? I haven't heard a word from you this whole time. No denial?"

She shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting to Valeska and then at Shanks. He looked at her expectantly, wondering if she really would refute any of what he said. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's not like you'd believe me if I _did_ deny it..." She glared at the pirate when she saw him smile. "What're you smiling about?"

"Nothin'..." he replied.

"Hmph." She looked away.

Valeska shook her head. "Who'd have thought... _You_ making friends with a pirate..."

"We're not friends!"

"Friendly acquaintances. Whatever." The brunette ignored the other girl's grumbling. "Anyway, you guys want anything to drink? All I have is tea, though. Or water."

Shanks opted for the tea. It wasn't really his preferred beverage, but he'd take it. He looked over at Grace and leaned forward slightly. "So..." Her eyes slid over to him and she raised an eyebrow. "How come you're off duty today?" he asked.

"What's it to you?"

"Aw, don't be like that, doll..." When she only looked at him flatly, he lowered his head just slightly and looked through his lashes at her with a small pout. The last time he pulled the puppy-dog expression, it had yielded good results. He had to suppress a grin when it worked again.

"...Not that it's any of your business, but it's on my boss's orders..." the marine replied. She sounded a bit resentful.

"I take it you'd rather not be here?"

"Obviously."

"But it's nice having time off, isn't it?"

"Not when there are pirates skulking around." Grace replied. She went on just as Shanks was about to reply. "None of that 'we're not bothering anybody' crap. That's not gonna change my mind about not wanting you here."

Shanks sighed softly. She was so stubborn. "Fine..." A tea cup was then placed in front of him and he nodded his thanks to Valeska. He had almost forgotten she was there. She didn't really have much presence, now that he thought about it.

It went quiet for a little while. Grace was sitting with her arms crossed, looking off into space while her leg bounced restlessly. Valeska took small sips of her tea, completely relaxed despite the somewhat awkward atmosphere. Or at least it felt awkward to Shanks. It didn't help that the brunette was eyeing him with...Well, he didn't know, exactly, and he couldn't fathom what might've been going through her mind. She had one hell of a poker-face.

Grace suddenly stood up and started towards the door. "Where are you going?" the redhead asked.

"It's stuffy in here." She was gone almost before she finished her reply.

Shanks wanted to follow, but Valeska's gaze kept him anchored to his seat. She was awfully imposing for somebody with so little presence.

She set down her tea cup, and Shanks actually felt a pang of anxiousness at the sound it made when it touched the table. "So..."

"...So..."

"You seem very...interested in Grace." the brunette started. "Is there any reason why?"

"Erm..." He scratched his cheek. "I dunno, I just...She's interesting, you know?"

"That's all?"

"Well, no, I...I like her. I mean, she's spirited and strong and..." Shanks squirmed slightly under her scrutiny. Did she want him to tell her exactly how he felt in excruciating detail? He wasn't usually the type to get embarrassed, but he felt his cheeks heating up. He hadn't really talked about this with anybody yet.

Thankfully, Valeska took pity on him. "Say no more. I got it." she said. She leaned back a little bit. "Just making sure." Shanks felt himself relax even though he didn't remember tensing up in the first place. "You have your work cut out for you, you know."

"Heh..." He already knew that. He smiled a little. "I think she's coming around, though."

"Seems that way."

Shanks looked at the brunette for a moment. "So...You're just okay with it?"

"Hm?" She blinked at him. "With what? You crushing on Grace?" She shrugged. "Eh, it's not like you've given me a reason to be against it."

"Even though I'm a pirate? I woulda thought a friends of Gracie's would hate us as much as she does..."

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Eh. I guess I don't hold grudges as long as she does. I know you guys aren't all pricks." she said. "Snowball could probably use a reminder so...I actually think you'd be pretty good for her."

Shanks would've snorted at the nickname, but his mind caught onto one little detail. He tilted his head. "Reminder?" Valeska only gave him a cryptic smile. He knew she wasn't going to elaborate, so he let it go.

* * *

Grace was seated on the steps leading up the porch just outside the front door. She alternated between looking out at the ocean and glaring towards the docks where she could see the bright red sails of the Oro Jackson. She really should go back inside and call the Vice Admiral on a den den mushi to report that Roger was here, but she couldn't quite bring herself to. She felt like that would be a...a _betrayal_ of whatever she had with the pirate in the house, which was a silly thought because there _wasn't anything_ between them at all. In fact, _not_ reporting to Garp was a betrayal to the marines and the entire government, one that promised severe repercussions if it was discovered. And yet, she remained where she was.

She sighed. Why couldn't everything be the way it was before?

The door opened behind her. "You having any fun out here, Snowball?"

" _Don't_ call me that." she snapped without turning to look at him.

"Hm? But Val calls you that."

"Val is my best friend. She gets special privileges." She turned her head to glare at him over her shoulder. "If _you_ call me that, I'll keelhaul you."

"Fine, fine. I'll just call you my _sweetheart_ instead."

Grace made a face. "Ugh." She turned to scowl at Roger's ship. "What do you want, anyway?"

"To see what you're up to." Shanks took a seat on the steps beside her. "So...Val told me it's your birthday soon." Grace frowned. "Are you gonna celebrate?"

"Why would I? It's not a big deal."

"But it's your _birthday_!" the redhead emphasized as though it would change her mind. "You're supposed to have a big party with food and friends and play games and goof off!"

"Sounds like a waste of time to me..."

"It's not like you have anything better planned, do you?" Shanks nudged her shoulder and she turned her head away with a 'hmph'. "How old are you gonna be, anyway?"

Grace almost refused to answer, but she knew that he's just keep prodding her until she did. "Fifteen."

"Ah! So not too much younger than me!" he replied. "My birthday was back in March. We had a bunch of food and music and we stayed up all night..." He went on and on about how much fun he had and how energetic everyone was, getting lost in his own story. At some point, Grace found his enthusiasm infectious and felt the corners of her lips lifting upwards. She shook her head and forced the urge away. "Man, you shoulda been there! I bet even you would've had a good time."

"Hm..." She looked out at the ocean, feigning disinterest. She heard the redhead sigh.

"Why are you so stubborn? It looked like I had your attention just a second ago."

Grace grimaced. "You're just imagining things."

Shanks laughed. "And you're just a liar!"

"Why don't you go bug somebody else?!"

"'Cause it's more fun with you!"

The warm smile he gave her coupled with what Valeska had told her earlier in the day made her cheeks grow warm. She looked away. "You're so annoying..." she growled.

"You're so cute..." he purred in response. When she turned to glare at him, she felt a spark of irritation at the cheeky grin she saw.

"It's like you _want_ me slap you."

"Hm...No, that's not what I want..." Shanks replied. There was mischief gleaming in his eyes, and Grace didn't like it. Not one bit. The pirate looked away, setting his sight on the docks where it looked like his crew was just about finished loading all their stuff up. "Well, it looks like I should get going..." The marine looked at him warily. "It's been fun, Gracie."

Perhaps she shouldn't have looked away, but she did. She intended to ignore him until he left, but she should have known he had something planned. She froze, eyes wide, when a pair of warm lips pressed against her cheek. Not half a second later she saw Shanks bolt towards his ship. At least he had the sense to run. Without even thinking about it, Grace stood up and grabbed the nearest object and chucked it at his retreating figure. The potted plant landed and shattered harmlessly on the street.

A moment later, the door opened and out came Valeska. "What the—What'd you throw my plant for?" The marine didn't respond. She just raised one hand to her cheek. "Grace?"

She turned to look at the brunette with a blank face, silent for a moment, and then her expression warped into one of flustered distress. "Why do you have to be right about everything?!"

Valeska blinked dumbly for a second before putting the pieces together and sighing. "It's not my fault you're slow..."

* * *

 **A/N: Well it looks like things might start moving along in the right direction, finally!  
**

 **Again, I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I hope you like it!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Man it feels like more days are going by in between updates. Sorry about that! Also, this chapter turned out just a tad shorter than the others, but not too much. It might be because I've been writing while I'm on the verge of falling asleep. I should stop that. Anyway, onward to chapter ten!  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten  
**

 **Crumbling Walls  
**

Grace lazily scanned the horizon, leaning against the railing of the ship with her arms folded in front of her. The waves and screeching seagulls were the only things that broke the tranquil silence. It was a very calm day. Well, in truth it had been a very calm few _weeks_. Pirate activity seemed to be dwindling as of late. They were still out there, of course, but none that needed Vice Admiral Garp's intervention. Grace knew it was a good thing that the seas were safer, but she couldn't help but feel restless. There was nothing to do. No call to action to distract her from her troubles. Nothing to keep her from being alone with her own thoughts.

She hadn't been fairing as badly as before. While she still felt the itch to clean her weapons when her thoughts wandered toward forbidden territory, she no longer gave into it so easily. Spending time at home with somebody who understood her better than anyone else had helped more than Grace wanted admit. After a lot of prodding and persistence, Valeska had successfully convinced the marine to open up and talk about everything. It was a long talk. It took them all over the place, from to little misadventures with Shanks and how _she_ felt about it, to the guilt eating her up due to her perceived betrayal, to long buried memories of the past that started coming back to haunt her.

 _It was a relatively peaceful island once, if a bit rowdy. It was lively and beautiful with its expansive fields of wildflowers of every color. The gladiolus flowers were Grace' favorite. She wanted to pick some and bring them home._

 _"Again?" A man laughed. "Th' house it gonna be flooded wi' 'em at this rate!"_

 _Grace looked up at him, at the man who would've looked just like her if he was her age. But he was older. A grown-up who towered over her with his hands on his hips as he grinned down at her. "At least then the house wouldn't smell like whiskey all the time..." She lifted her small hand and dramatically pinched her nose._

 _"Ugh, yer startin' t' sound like yer mother..." He groaned. His voice was rough like the gravel on the beach. "Yer s'pose t' be on my side, Sweetling! S'pose t' be Daddy's Little Girl!"_

 _She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him before she turned and started plucking flowers to take home._

Grace realized she had her pistol in her hands. _No_. She consciously put it back in its holster. She wasn't gonna start that again. Thinking about _him_ wasn't going to get to her. She wouldn't let it. She promised Valeska she'd find some other way of dealing with things instead of trying to block it out completely.

It was all Shanks' fault. If it wasn't for him and his stupid easygoing nature, she wouldn't be conflicted. She wouldn't be second guessing her opinion of pirates.

Grace sighed glumly and touched her cheek. She could almost feel the redhead's lips on her skin as though it had only happened a moment ago and it made her feel warm. It bothered her. Now that the idea of romance had been brought to the table, she didn't know what she was gonna do.

"Grace!"

She nearly jumped out of her own skin. She whirled around to face Vice Admiral Garp, heart pounding. How long had he been there? "Um, yes sir?" She heard somebody snort from further away. It was Warren, sitting on a barrel with one leg folded over the other with his hands behind his head as he leaned back against a wall. How long had _he_ been there? Grace glared at him.

Garp laughed. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

"Nothing..." She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

"I was just gonna tell you we're gonna be stopping at this island." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the bow. There was an island coming into view. When she looked back at the vice admiral, he was picking his nose with his pinky.

Grace made a face at his uncouth behavior and turned away to look at the ocean. "Yeah, okay..."

"You've been awfully spacey lately." He observed. When she glanced at him, he fixed her with a stern look. "You're not hiding anything, are you?"

"What?" Grace tried not to sound alarmed. "Of course not! Who do you think you're talking to?" According to her _official_ track record, she was one of the more eager recruits who jumped at any chance to take down a pirate. Grace told herself that nobody had any reason to believe anything different.

Garp's expression changed to one filled with mirth as he bellowed out a laugh. "I'm just teasing, kiddo!" He tousled her hair. "I know you wouldn't be up to no good!"

Grace scowled at the man, annoyed that he was messing with her. She would rather he didn't scare her like that. It wasn't good for her heart. "Whatever..." she grumbled.

"Bah, lighten up! You don't have to look so grumpy!" The old man laughed. "Maybe you'll find something to cheer you up on the island when we get there."

"We'll see, I guess..." She replied. Garp wandered off, probably to go bother somebody else or find a snack.

Grace looked towards the island, watched it get closer and closer as the sun started sinking lower in the sky. Her thoughts drifted. _"You're not hiding anything, are you?"_ She bit her lip. _I only let Gold Roger's crew escape several times, no big deal._ She thought sardonically.

A hand landed on her head and roughly ruffled her hair. "Ouch!" She slapped the offending limb away and glared at it's owner. At some point, Warren had gotten up and approached her with Tully in tow without her noticing. "What's your problem?!"

"I tried callin' your name, lass, but you were so far gone in la la land I had no other choice." he said. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing!"

"Bull."

"It's none of your business!"

"Uh-huh." Warren narrowed his eyes, mildly suspicious.

"Anyway." Tully decided to cut in. "We've docked. You wanna come look for something to do with us?"

"Since when do you guys wanna hang out with me?"

"We don't. We just kinda feel bad that nobody else ever wants to talk to you." said Warren.

"Gee. Thanks. You're sacrifice is duly noted."

"Aw, don't listen to him, kiddo! He's just being facetious." Tully started herding the pair towards the boarding ramp. "Now c'mon! Let's go find a restaurant or someplace that actually serves decent food. I dunno about you, but I'm tired of what we get in the mess hall. Do you think we'll ever get proper chefs on this ship?"

* * *

Shanks watched a bead of moisture roll down the side of his beer mug. It was his fourth one of the night, and he was starting to feel a little buzzed. Normally he wouldn't be drinking alone, but it was one of the rare times he felt like getting away from his crew. He needed to process his current situation and think about his future. Where would life take him now that the Roger Pirates had disbanded? He supposed the answer was obvious enough. He'd go his own way and start his own crew and have his own adventures eventually. That could wait a little while, though. For the time being he would stick with Buggy and Rayleigh until he found his bearings.

He was still a little bit sad. And a little listless. He took another sip of his drink. Maybe some more booze in his system would help him cheer up.

All of a sudden, the bartender was in front of him. "Yo." He nodded lowered his voice a little. "You're a pirate, aren't you? Might wanna be careful." He nodded towards the entrance with his eyebrows raised.

Shanks discreetly looked over his shoulder in time to catch the sight of a brunette man in a marine uniform step inside. He seemed distracted by somebody behind him, so Shanks decided to scoot towards a more dimly lit part of the bar counter. "Thanks for the heads up!" It might have been better to sneak out the back, but he didn't really feel like leaving yet. He wanted to finish this beer at least.

"Man, I swear somebody could tell me you guys are siblings and I'd believe it." said the marine.

Somebody scoffed. "Havin' _her_ as a sister would be hell."

A third person chimed in. "Like _you'd_ make a better brother." Shanks' head almost whipped around fast enough to give him whiplash when he heard the girl's voice. His mouth fell open when he laid eyes on none other than his favorite girl. "You're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself, you fuck."

"Watch you're fuckin' mouth you little brat." The guy she was talking to was blond and little bit bigger than the brunette one.

"What are you gonna do, give me another noogie?"

"Ya know what? Yeah. C'mere." The blond reached out his hand to catch Grace' head, but ducked out of the way.

"See," said the brunette, "that's exactly what I'm talking about."

Shanks made a conscious effort to stop gawking. He forced his head to turn back towards the bar and hunched over his drink, trying to take up as little space as possible. It wouldn't do for him to be seen. _Gracie is here!_ His mood lifted. What better way to get out of his gloomy mood than to hang out with her? But she was with company, wasn't she? How could he get her attention without those guys noticing? _Hmm..._

"Ah, hey! Where are you going?"

"I don't know how you guys do it, but somehow spending ten minutes with you feels like a hundred years. I need to get away from you." said Grace. Shanks risked a little peek over his shoulder and saw her heading for one of the stools at the other end of the bar.

"Fine by me." said the big blond guy. He turned on his heel and went straight to a booth closer to the entrance.

The brunette sighed. "Suit yourself, I guess." He turned and joined the blond, leaving Grace to her own devices.

Well, that was lucky. It looked like those two wouldn't be much of an issue as long as Shanks didn't make any noise. He turned his eyes to the girl at the other end of the bar. Now how could he get her attention? He felt around his pockets for his wallet and fiddled with the beri inside. Did Grace like beer? Did she even drink at all? Shanks had to admit, he didn't know nearly enough about her to accurately gauge her tastes.

Well, he thought the beer was fairly decent himself, so he decided to just go ahead and buy one for her. "Psst!" When the bartender looked at him, he waved him over. Shanks slid some beri across the counter. "Do you think you give that girl," he pointed at Grace, "one of these?" He pointed at his mug. The bartender looked over at the marine, and then back at him with furrowed eyebrows. "It's okay, she's a friend of mine."

"If you say so..." He took the money and ambled off.

Shanks looked over at Grace and rested his chin on his hand. He watched her with growing anticipation. Her face changed from mildly bored to confused and suspicious when a mug of beer was placed in front of her. The bartender murmured something to her and pointed in his direction. Shanks winked at her when their eyes met, and he had to stifle a laugh when her mouth dropped open in disbelief. She started to say something and he cocked his head to the side. She huffed and repeated herself, and Shanks realized she was mouthing the words, _What are you doing here?_

He lifted his mug with a crooked smile. _What does it look like?_

Grace rolled her eyes and pointed at something behind him. He turned his head to see what it was and noted the back door near the bar. When he turned his attention back to her, she was making a shooing motion with her hand.

The redhead smiled fondly. _So she's not gonna rat me out.._. He crooked his finger in a come hither motion and patted the stool next to him. _Come sit with me_. The marine shook her head with a frown and pointed at the door again. Shanks shrugged his shoulders and made a show of getting comfortable, leaning on the counter as he sipped his beer. He could just barely hear the drumming of her fingers on the polished wood, and from the corner of his eye he could see her cast anxious glances at him and at her friends. Was she that worried about him getting caught? Shanks had to bit his lip to keep from smiling like an idiot.

At some point Grace must have deemed it safe enough to get up and move closer, though she didn't sit right next to him. She left two seats of space between them. Shanks chanced a look at her comrades, seeing that they were too preoccupied with their own conversation to notice anything she did.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Grace was glaring at him when he turned his eyes back to her. "Why do you always turn up everywhere?"

"I dunno, gorgeous. I told you before; it must be fate." He fluttered his eyelashes with a grin.

Grace was not amused. "Get out of here!"

"No."

"Shanks!"

"I got here first, and I wanna finish my drink!" He lifted his mug to his lips and took the tiniest sip. He didn't want to finish it _too_ quickly, after all. Not when he a reason to stay. "It's pretty decent, you know." He nodded towards the mug sitting in front of Grace. She had it clasped tightly in her hand.

She looked at it and made a face. "I tasted it. It's mediocre if you ask me."

"High standards?"

"I'm not that into beer." Grace shook her head. "Anyway, just get out of here already! Do you wanna get picked up?"

"Picked up by you? Sweetheart, that would make my night!" Shanks purred. He tried not to grin too widely when her cheeks flushed.

"I meant picked up and tossed in a cell! _Arrested_!" She looked away and glared daggers into the drink in front of her. "Jeez, what's wrong with you?"

"Well, I do have a couple of beers in me," he chuckled. "Hey, if you don't want that, I'll take it."

Grace side-eyed him, but she slid the mug in his direction anyway. He downed the rest of the drink he already had so he could start on the new one. "Hurry up and finish it and get out of here." The conversation kind of died off after that while he nursed his beer.

"Would you come with me?" The question almost surprised him as much as it did Grace.

"What?"

"When I sneak out of here, do you wanna come with me?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"It'd make me really happy if you kept me company for a while longer." Shanks smiled at her hopefully.

She scowled at him for what felt like forever before suddenly standing up. "Finish your stupid drink!" She glanced at her friends one last time and then made for the back exit. The redhead was actually a little surprised and sat there in stunned silence for a few seconds before quickly chugging the rest of his drink and following after her.

When he stepped outside, he was met with the sight of Grace waiting for him with her arms crossed. "Are you gonna tell me what you're doing here, or what?"

"I'm just hanging out," Shanks replied. "By myself." he added just a little too quickly.

Grace eyed him suspiciously with a raised eyebrow. "And that means...? What? Just you? No pirate king?"

"Yep! Just me! The captain's not around..."

"Why not?"

"Ah, well...You know..." Shanks tried to smile through the pang of dejection that filled his chest. "I was just thinking it was about time to start my own adventure, so..." He knew his voice didn't quite match up with his words, but he hoped it wasn't too noticeable. He couldn't tell Grace about the end of the Roger Pirates. It was supposed to be a secret.

If she _did_ pick up on anything, she elected to ignore it. "I see..."

"Yeah..." Shanks decided to change the subject. "So what brings _you_ here?"

She tilted her head towards the door. "The decided they wanted to stop by here and invited me along. For some reason." She shook her head. "Anyway, just get out of here before I decide to blow the whistle on you."

"If you were gonna do that, you would have by now." When Grace scoffed and headed towards the doorway, Shanks unthinkingly grabbed her wrist in alarm. "W-wait a sec! You're not actually gonna tattle on me, are you?"

The marine yanked her arm free with a frown. "No, dumb-ass. I don't really feel like going on a chase tonight." The redhead relaxed. "I'm just going back inside."

"But you said you'd hang out with me some more..."

"I did not. I only came out here to get you out of there."

The redhead pouted. "I know you're just looking out for me, but that's mean. Getting my hopes up..."

"You did that all on your own."

"C'mon, sweetheart! You're just gonna sit in there all by yourself, aren't you?" he asked. "Let's go hang out some place quieter." He kind of tilted his head with a smile in a way that he hoped was endearing enough to convince her to accompany him. She was just what he needed to get his mind off of his troubles for a little while.

* * *

Her heart was pounding in her rib-cage and it was progressively more irritating the longer she spent with the redheaded pirate. She couldn't tell anymore whether it was due to the risk of Shanks getting spotted by another marine or if it was just very presence that made her chest feel tight. It was obnoxious. _He_ was obnoxious. He was flirting, and Grace had absolutely no idea how to approach the situation. None at all. This wasn't her forte. "I don't want to hang out with you. Go away." She reached for the handle on the door, fully intending to return to Warren and Tully to escape the insistent fluttery butterfly feeling in her belly. A hand on her shoulder stopped her and suddenly Shanks was standing between her and the door. She took a step back, away from his sudden nearness. "Move."

He shook his head with a pout. "Take a walk with me."

Grace glared at him. She couldn't stand those puppy dog eyes of his. She couldn't stand his smiles, either. Or his voice when it took on a playful edge. But his eyes especially. They were dark and expressive and strangely captivating. _Damn it_. She struggled to hold on to some ounce of resolve. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"There's nothing better than spending time with you, doll." The marine looked at him dubiously. He sighed when he must have realized the cheesy approach wasn't going to work. "Please, Gracie? It'd be nice to have some company..."

There was something rather melancholy about his tone, something that gave away the barest hint of a heavy heart, and it made Grace falter. Giving into him would only invite more troublesome thoughts to keep her up at night, but... How could she turn him down? _Damn it all_. "...You're not gonna let me say 'no' are you?" The almost pleading look on his face gave her was his answer. The marine cursed herself for being so soft. It was too late to undo all this, wasn't it? "Fine." she said begrudgingly.

She wanted to hate the way his eyes lit up. Shanks smiled affectionately. "Thank you, love."

Grace looked at him with wide eyes. "What did you just—"

"C'mon, let's go!" He grabbed her hand and started pulling her along before she could finish.

* * *

 **A/N: Shanks said the "L" word! But he didn't use it in the way that counts :/ Oh well. Maybe someday!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

 **Calming the Beast  
**

Grace had her eyes locked on her hand that was grasped firmly by the redhead leading her to who knows where. She hopelessly tried to tug it free, only to meet resistance when his grip tightened a little bit. It was useless. He wasn't going to let go unless she put up more of a fight. She sighed. She would have put more effort into it once. But now she was just becoming more and more inclined to give up and let him have his way. Grace let her eyes travel up the length of Shanks' arm to the back of his head. He was quiet as he led her down the street. For a moment she wondered if he had some destination in mind, but then she started thinking about _that word_ he uttered earlier. He couldn't have meant anything serious by it, could he? Of course not; it was just another pet name like any of the others he used. Still, _that_ one in particular carried a certain weight to it that made Grace just a bit uneasy.

She shook her head and looked down at her captured hand. She tried to tug it free again.

"I'm not gonna let go..."

"Is this necessary? I'm not gonna run off or anything..."

Shanks slowed his pace a bit as he looked back at her. "I know." He turned around completely, slowly walking backwards in front of her with a smile. "I just want to hold your hand, doll. Is that so bad?"

Grace frowned. "...You're hand is sweaty." she said.

"Hm..." He narrowed his eyes, and then grinned after a moment. "Are you sure it's _my_ hand?" Grace felt her face heat up. Well, maybe her palms _were_ a bit clammy. The redhead chuckled softly. "Do I make you nervous, sweetheart?"

"No!" She tried to step away only to be pulled back by a an arm snaking around her waist.

"It's okay, Grace...You make me nervous sometimes too."

The marine blinked and shoved him lightly as she squirmed out of his grasp. "Shut up, I'm not nervous!" she muttered. She wondered how he could just stuff like that without getting embarrassed.

"Whatever you say, angel..." The redhead chuckled. Grace crossed her arms and looked away, a scowl set firmly on her face. "Aw, don't go all sour on me. C'mon, lighten up!" He carefully slipped his fingers around the marine's wrists, keeping a watchful eye on her expression as he coaxed her out of her guarded stance. She reluctantly unfolded her arms, eyeing the redhead with ambivalence. She pursed her lips and looked down at his fingers when he tangled them with hers. Shanks tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

"Yes."

The pirate followed her line of sight to their linked fingers. "What's wrong with holding hands?"

"Nothing, on its own. But when you take into account who those hands belong to..."

Shanks clicked his tongue. "Who cares, Gracie?" There was a note of discontent in his voice that made the girl frown. "You're not on duty right now, your marine buddies are too distracted to notice you're gone...And I'm not exactly pirating it up right now, either." He looked at her in earnest. "Can you just put aside the 'we're enemies' shtick just for one night?"

"Pff, 'just for one night' he says..." Grace snorted. "Like you're not gonna try to get me to forget about my responsibilities next time we meet, too..." She scoffed.

The redhead's eyes wandered as he mulled over her words, a chastened smile forming on his face. "Well, let's not worry about next time, yeah?"

"Shanks..."

"Just live in the moment with me, sweetheart." He squeezed her hands, eyes hopeful.

For a moment, Grace struggled with the tightness in her chest that insisted she give in. Then she sighed. "Damn your stupid puppy eyes..." She muttered. She turned her head to look away from his vibrant smile, the first one that night that truly touched his eyes that night. "Don't say I never did anything for you..." When the silence stretched on for a second too long, she looked back at the redhead inquisitively only to see his face leaning closer to hers. She took a step back, alarmed. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Shanks licked his lips, leaning back a bit with a careful expression. "Nothing." he replied. "C'mon, we were on a walk, remember?" he said, changing the subject. For a second, Grace stayed firmly planted where she while her sudden burst of panic receded. Later she would scold herself in private for freezing up line a deer caught in the headlights, but right then she focused on calming her disquieted heart. Shanks gently tugged her forward, and when her feet started moving she felt herself begin to relax.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_ Grace absently allowed herself to be guided along whatever path Shanks chose to stroll down. Her attention was directed inward at the fluttering nerves that made her feel so unsure. She wasn't accustomed to the sense of pressure that came with...with...whatever this was. Her eyes darted to Shanks' hand clasped over her own.

Grace found herself bathed in a fresh wave of uncertainty when it dawned on her that she had far passed the point of no return. She sighed and decided to push her thoughts aside for now. She could evaluate them later.

* * *

Shanks glanced back at the marine trudging along behind him, seeing once again that she was too lost in her own thoughts to notice. He was a little worried that he had messed something up. He didn't mean to make her clam up. Maybe he shouldn't have gone in for a kiss... He sighed. This little outing was supposed to take his mind _off_ of his problems, not make new ones.

Suddenly, the redhead felt a tug on his hand when Grace stopped where she was. He looked at her, eyebrows raised. She was glancing about, seemingly returning from her train of thought. "Why are we walking this way?"

"Hm? Uh. I'm just going wherever..." Shanks replied.

"This way leads to the docks." the marine said. He looked at her blankly. "Where my ship is moored?"

"Oh! Right! Marines..." Shanks looked down the path they were going and then back at Grace. "I guess we should go somewhere else, huh?" he said sheepishly.

"You think?" Grace shook her head and sighed. "We shouldn't be wandering around like this if we're _both_ out of it..." she muttered.

"Heh, yeah, no kidding..." Shanks scratched the back of his neck, eyes on the girl next to him. He then looked away as he tried to get his thoughts in order so he could fix whatever he did wrong.

He didn't realize he was just standing there staring at nothing until a hand wave in front of his face. He blinked and looked at Grace, who's eyebrows were furrowed. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothin', I'm just trying to figure out how to make you feel better..." he said. When she quirked an eyebrow at him, he added, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable earlier." He lightly put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

She ducked away from his fingers and straitened out the mess he made of her silvery-white locks. "Besides that."

"Huh?"

"Don't act like that's the only thing bugging you. You've been kind of off all night."

"You noticed..." It made Shanks kind of happy to know that she actually paid attention to him.

"It's kinda hard not to when you're usually so annoyingly happy."

The redhead shrugged, looking down. "You're right. I've been feelin' kinda down lately, I guess..." he said. "So," he squeezed the marine's hand and smiled hopefully, "Do you think you could help me feel better, love?"

Shanks felt a twinge of _want_ when he saw her cheeks redden. "What—" She cut herself off, pinching the bridge of her nose, and then shook her head. "How am I supposed to do that?" she asked. "Wouldn't your friends know how to help you better than me?"

"Eh, they're not really feeling any better than I am..." he replied. "And besides, I'm here by myself, remember?" he added quickly. Grace was giving him a certain look, and he knew she figured he was lying. She didn't say anything about it, though.

The marine looked away after a moment. "Alright..." she said with a resigned sigh. She ran her fingers through her hair, avoiding eye contact. "What...do you want, then?" she asked slowly. She looked a little tense, as though bracing herself for the worst.

Shanks bit his lip and thought about it for a moment. "A hug." he decided.

"...That's it?" Grace sounded skeptical, but the redhead didn't miss how her shoulders slumped with relief.

He nodded. "That's it." He raised his arms and tried to look inviting. He watched her look away and then back at him, before looking away again with a shade of pink dusting her cheeks. Shanks could barely contain his glee when she took a tentative step towards him, but for her sake he kept himself grounded. He closed the gap between them and let his arms circle around her waist.

Grace was stiff, and didn't really hug him back with the same enthusiasm that the redhead was showing, but feeling her hands resting on his sides was enough to get his heart pounding. Shanks pressed his cheek against her head, feeling like he had accomplished a great feat. He seemed to have gotten past the violent stage of earning the marine's trust, and now had the chance to navigate closer to whatever laid underneath her prickly demeanor.

"...When was the last time you showered?"

Her voice shook him out of his reverie. "Um...Let's see..." He paused for a moment.

"The fact that you have to think about it speaks volumes..." Grace mumbled. When the pirate leaned back to look at her face he couldn't help but chuckle at her mildly disgusted expression.

"Sorry, doll. I didn't exactly know I'd run into you today..."

"Hm..." She didn't seem to be appeased by his response, but Shanks didn't really care. He was just happy that she was acting relatively normal. "...Are you satisfied yet?" she asked.

The redhead's arms squeezed tighter around her waist. "Nope." Grace huffed impatiently but said nothing. "It's not that bad, is it?"

"You know I can't stay here forever, right?"

Shanks let out a dramatic sigh. "I know, it's a shame." he said. "It's like 'Romeo and Juliet', don't you think? Only I'll make sure our tale doesn't end in tragedy. I won't make the same mistake Romeo did, I promise."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna be faking my death for you so there won't be a mistake to make."

"Good to know..." Shanks said with a smile. "Maybe we'll get the 'happily ever after' they never got."

"Don't get your hopes up, idiot." The marine disentangled herself from his arms and stepped away. "It's not like we're...you know..." She crossed her arms, gaze turned towards the ground with a bashful expression.

"Not lovers, you mean?" Shanks reached over and tucked a strand of the marine's hair behind her ear. She didn't flinch away, and he thought it was good sign. "Maybe not, but who knows what the future holds?"

* * *

Grace wandered back towards the bar, eyebrows furrowed with thoughts buzzing through her mind at a million miles an hour. Her hands were balled into fists in her pockets if only to keep them from continuously running through her hair. Her heartbeat wasn't irregular but it _felt_ like it was. It felt it was stuttering and skipping beats and some tiny part of her was paranoid that it would just stop all together, but it didn't.

She was done for. She knew it. She had already known it for a while, but now it was set in stone. She had a soft spot for Shanks, and maybe even liked him. There wasn't anything she could do about it except never see him again, but somehow that thought hurt just a little too much to bear. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't just throw caution to the wind and be with him despite the consequences. Well, she _could_ , but becoming wanted by the government would more than a little inconvenient.

Grace took a deep breath when she spotted the bar. She was almost afraid to go in and face Warren and Tully, as if they'd see what she'd been up to written all over her face. They wouldn't, though. They weren't mind readers. They'd only know if she told them. Grace took another breath, consciously schooling her face into a more neutral expression, and then continued through the front entrance of the bar.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy, Gracie finally acknowledges her feelings! Where will things go from here?  
**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter! See you in the next one!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Yo, howzit goin' guys? It's been like seventeen days since I updated, and I'm so sorry! I don't know why, but I just had a lot of trouble with getting this chapter together for some reason. Writer's block sucks, you guys. But anyways, I finally finished it and I hope it turned out okay even though I had so much trouble with it. This is also the longest chapter I've written so far at just over 3000 words. Does that make up for it being late? Probably not. Well anyways, I'll stop rambling now. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve:**

 **The Execution  
**

Grace had never been to Loguetown before, but she thought it was safe to say it was the liveliest it had ever been. There were people _everywhere_. A lot of them were visiting from far off places, so the streets were practically flooded with folks from all walks of life. There were lots of marines stationed around as well—all of whom were positively radiating with giddy triumph. Grace supposed she couldn't fault them for being happy. It wasn't every day they got to bear witness to a such a high profile execution. Indeed, it was history in the making. After years full of regrettable failure, the infamous Pirate King had finally been captured. That was why people flocked to this port town in East Blue. They all wanted to catch a glimpse of the fallen king and eagerly awaited for the next day to roll around to see the end of his reign.

Grace, however, could only frown as she gazed out at the sea of people bustling through the streets. She'd had the displeasure of overhearing something she shouldn't have—something that left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Gol D. Roger had turned himself in.

Whatever sense of excitement she had felt before then quickly disappeared. It was so _wrong_. How could anyone call it a victory when it was just handed to them? Her frown deepened. The worst part was that the marines didn't acknowledge his easy surrender. They acted like they had accomplished something grand, like they had forced him to his knees and shacked him against his will. And now they planned to make an example of him to show the world that no one could stand up against the World Government. _But Roger could,_ Grace thought. He still could. If he didn't want to be there, he wouldn't be. The dishonesty made Grace' skin crawl. Not that she should be preaching honesty, but still. It felt dirty.

On top of all that, she had to wonder _why_. Why would a man who had everything give it all up just like that?

She pondered quietly for a little while before deciding that it would be best to simply let it go. She wouldn't be able to figure out the answer all on her own anyway. Grace instead turned her attention to the docks as she passed by on her patrol route. She could see ships coming and going, though most of them were coming. Passengers filed off the sea vessels and impatiently waited for the marine officers in charge of inspecting their luggage to finish up so they could try to find an inn that still had rooms left. This influx of newcomers was good for businesses on the island, but it also meant that things would be more chaotic if something went wrong during the execution.

Grace sighed as she gazed at all the commotion, hoping that the whole thing would end without too much trouble.

* * *

Shanks felt as though he were walking through a haze. It seemed like just _yesterday_ he got the news that the captain was in the marines' custody and after that, it felt like time had started moving quicker. The days had gone by in a blur, and he only vaguely remembered the trip to Loguetown before he found himself looking around at the captain's birthplace.

He trudged along behind Buggy and Rayleigh as they traversed the streets in search of a pub. The redhead knew the next few days at least would be filled with countless empty bottles. He wasn't really looking forward to it.

The motley group eventually happened upon a tavern that seemed to be reserved for people on the wrong side of the law. It's patrons had probably congregated there because of the increased number of marines patrolling the town and this establishment was out of the public eye for the most part. It would be a good spot to lay low for a while. They could drown their troubles in alcohol and try to ignore the somber cloud that weighed down their spirits.

But Shanks wasn't really feeling it. The thought of booze didn't appeal to him like it normally would. He was overtaken by a cold numbness that made him feel...

Nothing.

Maybe for the first time, Shanks simply felt _nothing_. Everything that made him who he was seemed to be missing, or rather, it was there but it was out of arms reach. Some part of him knew it was a sort of "calm before the storm" situation. Something in his mind was keeping his emotions sedated so that he wouldn't have to endure the hellish reality that soon he was going to lose someone important to him.

Shanks looked around at his friends, noticing that they seemed to be in a similar funk. It made him restless. He didn't like the atmosphere. He needed a distraction, or at least some sense of normalcy to keep him grounded.

Rayleigh noticed the redhead's subconscious fidgeting and eyed him carefully. He sighed and took a swig from the bottle in his hand before addressing the younger lad. "You know, you don't have to stick around here..." he said.

Shanks looked up, puzzled. "Huh?"

"If you're not gonna drink, then there's no point in staying, is there?"

The redhead looked at the untouched mug of beer in front of him. He reached towards it, but his hand didn't quite make it to the handle. He really didn't feel like drinking it, and forcing it down would just make it taste bad. After a moment of contemplation, Shanks looked back at Rayleigh. "...Is it okay if I go take a walk or something?"

"You don't have have to ask permission. I'm not in charge of you."

"Right..." That little reminder made him feel especially glum. He steeled himself and got ready to leave the pub. Just before he left, he heard Rayleigh call out to him.

"You should check out the port over on the east side. You might find something you like." he said cryptically.

Shanks was slightly puzzled by the suggestion because he knew that most of the harbors on the island were occupied by marines at the moment, but he decided to check it out anyway. Rayleigh wouldn't lead him astray on purpose. He had to be discreet, though. There were a lot of eyes he needed to avoid if he had any hope of laying low. The redhead tried to stay toward the center of the crowds filling the streets where the marines keeping watch wouldn't be able to see him clearly. He looked around for anything that stood out.

All he saw were tourists and marines on high alert and he had to wonder why Rayleigh would send him _there_. It didn't seem like there was anything there for _him_. Just a bustling crowd full of people eager to see his captain die.

Shanks felt a lump form in his throat at the thought, and all of a sudden he felt claustrophobic. He pushed his way out of the crowd, momentarily forgetting about about the military officers stationed at almost every corner, and bee-lined right for an alley cluttered with empty barrels and crates left over from sold out merchandise from all the shops in the area. He took a deep breath to relax his constricting chest. He didn't want to fall apart. Not yet.

After getting a hold of himself, he became aware of a set of voices near the entrance of the alley and hastily crouched behind a barrel. "—sure you didn't see him? I coulda swore he went this way..."

"No, sorry." Shanks felt his heart skip a beat at the female voice. "I haven't seen _any_ pirates on this side, let alone any of Roger's crew." The redhead carefully peered out from behind his hiding spot and his eyes were immediately drawn to the woman's back. She stood with her weight resting mostly on one foot and one hand placed on her hip while the other rested limp by her side, all very casual and relaxed. But Shanks couldn't help but notice that she was subtly blocking the other marine from investigating the alley.

"Well, if you do see him, sound the alarm."

"Of course." They exchanged a salute and the unfamiliar marine went on his way. Grace stayed put for a moment, checking to make sure the coast was clear, and then slipped into the alley with a frown. She pointed her finger at Shanks' chest as he rose from his crouched position. "You are _so_ lucky I'm on patrol duty today!" she hissed. "What are you thinking? Waltzing around in broad daylight right in front of marines..." she shook her head. "I know you're an idiot, but this seems pointlessly risky..."

"Eh, you're not wrong..." Shanks scratched the back of his head. "I don't really know what I'm doing here either..." _Unless.._. He squinted at Grace, thoughtful. Could it be that Rayleigh had sent him there because of her? _No, that can't be right...Can it?_ Then again, she was definitely something he liked...

"Well, whatever, it doesn't matter. You need to _go_. Back to whatever hole in the wall you pirates are hiding in." The marine started to look for a blind spot out on the main street so the redhead could slip away unnoticed.

"Wait..." Shanks pulled her back towards the safety of the cluttered alley, away from the prying eyes out in the streets. "Can't we stay here for a little while?" he asked. He trace circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

"What? No! I have to patrol the docks."

"Just a few minutes, Gracie..." He lifted her hand to his face and pressed his cheek against her palm. "Please?" The hint of despair in his voice was readily noticeable even to his own ears and the way the marine's expression softened with pity told him that she could hear it too.

"Shanks..."

"So cruel..." he pouted. "I'm hurting and you don't even want to comfort me..."

"I'm cruel? You're the one trying to guilt trip me." Grace sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't indulge you this time. Everybody's on high alert right now, and my absence _will_ be noticed. Even if it's only a few minutes."

Shanks knew she was right, but it didn't make him any less disappointed. "Fine..." he pouted. He pressed his lips against her palm one last time before letting go. She gently caressed his cheek with her thumb, an uncharacteristic show of affection that made the redhead's heart melt.

"Don't let anybody see you, okay?"

He swallowed down the butterflies trying to escape his stomach and nodded. "Okay..." With that, Grace took her leave. Shanks touched his cheek and was thankful for the warm feeling that spread through his body. It might not have been enough to take his mind off of everything, but at least it would hold the darkness at bay for just a little longer.

* * *

Grace stood up straight on the slightly elevated platform off to the side of Loguetown's main square. There were similar platforms dotting the edge of the square with other marines on guard, all armed with rifles just in case things went downhill. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the impatient excitement of those who wanted to see Roger's downfall. The wait wouldn't be long. In mere minutes he would be escorted from his prison cell to the scaffold that would serve as his deathbed.

"Man, you could cut the tension with a knife..." Tully was standing next to her, looking as laid back as always. Warren, who was on Tully's other side, only hummed affirmation. He was as stoic as ever, but with a noticeable crease between his eyebrows. "You still bothered?" the brunette asked.

"What do you think?" the blond huffed.

"I think you're still bothered."

"Of course I am!" He kept his voice low. "All thanks t' _her_!"

Grace rolled her eyes. "You ever hear the phrase, 'Don't shoot the messenger?' I didn't do anything."

"Ya coulda waited 'til after all of this to tell us—"

"Hey hey hey, shhhh!" Tully nudged Warren's arm. "Don't forget where we are!" he whispered.

Earlier that morning before the three of them got to their post, Grace had burst their bubble by telling them the truth of Roger's surrender. She kind of felt bad, sure, but she had felt worse before she did it. She let them believe the lie for too long.

The duo went on whispering to each other a Grace tuned them out.

She let her eyes scan the crowd gathered in the square, wondering where Shanks might be. She knew he was there somewhere, but there were too many people for her to pick him out. Perhaps that was for the better. When she thought about how forlorn he looked the day before, she hated to think what he must look like now. The marine tightened her grip on her rifle. She tried to push those thoughts away, but she couldn't quite shake the sense of dread she felt on the redhead's behalf. Just knowing that this whole event would crush him made Grace feel bitter.

She tutted her tongue. She was already harboring disapproval over how Roger's surrender was being handled, she didn't need to start wishing things could be different for Shanks' sake, too. In that moment, she might have resented her budding attraction to that likable fool. Just a bit.

Finally, she saw Roger enter the scene and she turned her attention on him. His shackles rattled, the only thing breaking the tense silence that had befallen the crown as he walked along the path towards the execution platform. The man had a damned smile on his face from what Grace could see, and he wore it all the way to the top of the platform, even as he sat down and waited for the executioners to get it over with.

She didn't understand. Who could smile as they're about to die?

A smiling face flashed across her mind, one that looked a little too much like her own. _No_. Grace squashed the thought before it could take root. Now wasn't the time for memories.

Suddenly someone yelled from the crowd. "Hey! Pirate King!" All eyes turned towards the source of the voice, curious. "What did you do with your treasure?! It's somewhere out on the Grand Line, isn't it?! One Piece?!" Grace heard a few whispers as others from the crowd began wondering about it too. A marine officer shouted at the speaker to hold his tongue, and Roger began laughing.

"My treasure?" He asked. The executioners swiftly readied their blades and told him to be quiet. "If you want it, you can have it. Go ahead and look for it." The executioners pulled back their blades, going in for the kill. "I left it all at _that_ place!" The blades struck his chest, silencing him for good, but even then his grin never left his face.

For a few heartbeats that felt like an eternity, there was silence. And then the people started cheering. The marines gazed around at them in disbelief. It was like the Pirate King's execution had the exact opposite effect than what was intended. The people were overtaken by wild fantasies involving what they could do with Roger's vast wealth. It was kind of daunting, seeing a bunch of otherwise normal citizens be consumed by their sudden spark of greed.

Grace, along with the other marines stationed in the square, tried to get a handle on the situation. They tried to calm the crowd and remind them that the execution was supposed to be a warning, but their words fell on deaf ears.

Things seemed to spiral out of control. The crowd began dispersing when people got the idea start preparing for a grand voyage in search of unimaginable wealth.

It didn't help that it suddenly started raining.

Grace sighed as she looked around at the mild chaos ensuing in Loguetown. She was at a loss for what to do. The citizens bustling about excitedly weren't technically breaking any laws, so nobody could arrest them. She watched some of her comrades try to talk sense into them, but it was a fool's errand. No one was listening.

As Grace scanned the unruly crowd, she saw something that made her breath catch. She was too far away to see him very clearly in the rain, but everything about his body language screamed _anguish_. His normally animated confidence had been reduced to trembling shoulders and down-turned eyes. Her heart ached with sympathy as she watched him stumble off and disappear into the crowd again.

* * *

Shanks felt like he couldn't breathe. What little air he could get came in hiccups and his vision was blurred with tears he couldn't stop. He slumped over, leaning back against a wall for support. He wanted to just lay down and succumb to the suffocating grief weighing on him like a ton of bricks.

He knew this was coming but he still didn't want to believe it. His captain was really gone. The Roger Pirates really _were_ over. Shanks' hand clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly as though it would ease the suffocating pain.

A set of cautious footsteps coming toward him momentarily pulled at his attention and he looked up expecting to see one of his friends coming to check on him or tell him they had to get going or something since there were so many marines around. However instead of a crew-mate, he locked eyes with an anxious Grace who looked at him with pity. He lowered his head so that his hat blocked her view of his face. He didn't want her to see him when he felt like he was on the verge of crumbling to pieces.

At the same time, though, there was a tiny part of him that wanted to reach out to her for comfort and have her chase away the black cloud hanging over his head.

As if reading his thoughts, Grace took a couple of tentative steps toward him until he could see her fiddling with her hands under the brim of his hat. She shifted from one foot to the other, and everything about her body language screamed uncertainty. She cleared her throat, and Shanks lifted his head so he could see her face clearly—or as clearly as he could when his eyes were blurred with moisture.

The marine couldn't seem to bring herself to look directly at him. Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her eyes darted every which way as though trying to find some hint for what to say. She looked very much out of her element to say the least. "I...Um..." She paused to collect herself. "Do you..." She trailed off, seemingly unable to finish her thought. She looked down, lips pursed.

Even if she couldn't get the words out, Shanks thought he got the message well enough. Without really thinking about it, he took a shaky step forward and nearly crumpled against the slightly socially awkward marine. His arms snaked around her torso and clutched her uniform tightly as he buried his face against the crook of her neck. He couldn't hold back the choking sobs that poured out of him when he felt her arms encircle his waist.

Grace stayed quiet, stiffly rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him. She was tense and somewhere in the back of his mind, Shanks knew it was because of the risk involved with what she was doing. So he tried to get a hold of himself. He slowly, pulled away from the object of his affection and did his best to wipe away the tears and snot and rainwater soaking his face. "Thank you, Gracie..." He murmured quietly. "I should..." he sniffed. "I should probably...go..." he said reluctantly.

"Yeah..." Grace agreed. She started backing away, looking down with a dusting of red on her cheeks. "Um...S-stay safe, okay?"

Shanks watched her go until she was out of sight and then forced himself to search for his friends so he could drown his sorrows together with them.

* * *

 **A/N: The Pirate King is dead. Grace finally showed some affection. Where will things go from here I wonder?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello everyone! Surprised to see me so soon? Faster update this time, yay! This chapter just came pretty easily to me. Once I started writing, I almost couldn't stop! I think it turned out pretty good. I hope you feel the same.  
**

 **Also I just want to address somebody's idea about the whole arm cutting off because feeling guilty thing. I don't actually have any plans for that happening (mainly cause I can't stand to make my little Gracie kill babies for that to happen. I'm sorry I'm too soft.), but it is an interesting idea. Kind of reminds me of the new admiral, Fujitora. He blinded himself cause he was tired of seeing corruption in the world.**

 **Anyway, I also want to apologize in advance. Shanks will not be appearing in this chapter. This one is all about Grace and Valeska and stuff. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen:**

 **Not How It's Supposed To Be**

The world had descended into a new age of piracy. Roger's last words had captured the imagination of thousands, and the number of wanted men and women had skyrocketed. Some weren't any big deal and were picked off with ease, but the allure of the Pirate King's riches had also drawn out some rather nasty fellows as well. Grace would have liked to be a part of the efforts going towards containing those new threats, but instead her service was called elsewhere.

Somehow, her change of heart regarding a certain red haired pirate had gone unnoticed by her comrades and superiors. They were under the assumption that she would wholeheartedly agree to do whatever they needed her to if it meant scrubbing away the scum that brought society down. Part of that was true—Grace was all for locking up the violent wrongdoers that took innocent lives. But would she _wholeheartedly_ do _anything_ the higher-ups wanted her to?

She decided that she would not. She would never have agreed to what the government was asking of her if she had the choice. Unfortunately, it wasn't a mission that anyone had the choice to refuse. Either she did as she was told or she risked whatever punishment they had in mind for insubordination.

See, this was a very important task. Those in charge described it as "necessary to rid the world of _that_ demon's evil blood." If anyone voiced their discontent, they'd be seen as a traitor. So Grace had to bear with it. She had to go along with this "necessary" effort to erase every flesh and blood trace of Gold Roger from the world, even though it disgusted her.

Grace had to steel her nerves yet again as she watched a pair of marines force a terrified woman from her home and guide her towards the battleship that was currently serving as a detention center where interrogations would take place. The woman's husband was being held back, and Grace feared thing would escalate to the point of violence if he didn't calm down. She could understand his anger. What on earth could the government want with his pregnant wife and why wasn't he allowed to stay with her? What had she done? Why wouldn't anyone give him any answers? His reaction was understandable. But even so, if he didn't back down then one of her associates would take it as a threat. She had seen it happen far too many times.

When the situation started getting more heated, Grace stepped in to try and diffuse the man's temper. "Sir, please don't cause a scene. Your wife isn't in any danger," or so she hoped, "and she'll be released if things check out."

"If _what_ checks out?! What's going on?!"

"That's...classified." Grace replied quietly. She stepped back when he tried to lunge at her to get answers out of her. He was stopped by a trio of other marines, and she had to look away when they _subdued_ him. She let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling another headache coming on.

It would have been easier if they were allowed to explain what they were doing. Surely they'd get more willing cooperation if told these families and couples _why_ they were being taken into custody. But the higher ups didn't want to risk alerting Roger's allies and possible lover to their plan. If word got out as to what they were looking for, then that would throw a wrench into the whole operation. Their prey could slip right between their fingers. So instead of informing the suspects of why they were being taken in for questioning, the marines all but broke into their homes and basically kidnapped them.

It was awful. A heavy ball of guilt had been sitting in her gut ever since the first arrest she'd been a part of. That had been months earlier. Long, excruciatingly taxing months during which her sixteenth birthday had come and gone and she had spent in inflicting unnecessary stress on expectant mothers. She was exhausted and with each passing day she felt more and more empty. She wasn't the only one, thankfully. There were others who seemed to share her discomfort with the whole thing even if they didn't say so. Grace could see it in their eyes when their gazes met sometimes, the haunted and shame that made itself known when they looked away with furrowed eyebrows.

And what was all of it for? What was the government so hell-bent on finding? Well, according to some reports, Gol D Roger may have been expecting a child.

And what would they do if they found his supposed offspring? Grace was afraid to think about it. After seeing what they were willing to do just to find this kid, she wouldn't put it past them to go even further to get rid of what they believed to be a parasite.

Things went on that way for a few more months. During that time, the marines started transitioning from interrogating pregnant women to mothers with newborns and toddlers. There came a point where Grace outright refused to look at anymore of those people in the eye. She was already visited by so many of their fearful faces at night that she thought she might drown in them if she saw anymore.

Luckily, after almost eleven months participating in this fruitless search, she caught a break. Vice Admiral Garp had happened to be in the area as he took down a problematic pirate crew and stopped at the island she was on to recuperate. Grace had taken the opportunity to go see him after finishing up her shift for the day. She needed a familiar, more friendly presence to offset all the negativity she had been dealing with, even if she didn't enjoy hanging out with Garp all that much. That was how she found herself sitting on the deck of the vice admiral's battleship that night with her head hanging low. He was standing a couple feet away, leaned against the railing as he gazed out at sea.

It was quiet for a long time before the old man decided to speak. "Having a hard time, Everett?" His usually chipper attitude seemed to be missing.

"..." She said nothing.

"Just bear with it for a little longer. They'll give up soon." he said.

"Not soon enough." Grace replied. She didn't understand why they were doing it in the first place. The kid had nothing to do with its father or his sins. Her heart nearly broke when she thought about how much the Wold Government despised a child who had done nothing wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The marines were supposed to protect he innocent, not hunt them down like they were animals. "This isn't..." She felt her throat constrict. "This isn't what I signed up for..." She didn't care to stop the tear from rolling down her cheek when she squeezed her eyes shut. The backs of her eyelids were like a movie screen that played through all the stomach churning scenes she'd witnessed throughout the last year. She couldn't hold it in anymore. All the pent up guilt and resentment came forth and made her bury her face in her forearms in shame. She hated herself for being too much of a coward to speak out against it.

She could hardly remember the last time anything made her cry.

A mere two days later, Grace was transferred back to Grap's division to fight against pirates again even though she wasn't really strong enough to battle the ones they were going after. It was fine, though. She would settle for hanging back and supporting from a safe distance. Anything was better than what she was doing before.

* * *

The sound of cracking wood followed by a thud against a wall made Valeska's shoulders twitch involuntarily. She imagined her front door half hanging off its hinges, and the heavy footsteps on her wooden floor made her blood turn to ice. Outside, she heard gunshots and loud pleads for mercy. The oppressive atmosphere that had befallen her peaceful little island was all to familiar. She had experienced something like it before. She was only a small child back then, the memory was still vivid in her mind.

 _All of a sudden she was six years old again, hiding under her parent's nightstand with her eyes screwed shut and her hands covering her ears. She didn't know where her mom or dad were, just that there were scary men in her house taking anything they could carry. The noise outside was loud and if she looked out the window she would see the night sky was lit up by her neighbors' burning houses. She was sniffling and shaking, and then she froze when she heard the bedroom door open—_

The brunette shook her head and clutched the shotgun in her hands tightly. She was standing against the wall in her hallway with the barrel pointed towards the only doorway. She listened to the foot steps as their owner searched the living room for valuables. She heard drawers open and furniture get knocked over. An overwhelming sense of dread clawed at her mind when the footsteps neared the entrance to the hallway.

 _A tall man entered the bedroom. He was heavyset with greasy black hair and scars up the right sight of his face and neck. His clothes were dirty and bloodstained and he carried a saber in one hand. Valeska nearly stopped breathing because she was afraid of him seeing her. She watched helplessly as the pirate began rummaging through her parents things. He snatched up her mother's jewelry and then swept the box she kept it in to the side. It fell to the floor with a loud clatter that made the little girl gasp. The pirate whipped around and locked eyes with her. "Well well..." He smirked. "What do we have here?"_

Valeska forced the memory out of her mind just in time to register the face of the intruder appear around the door-frame. He appeared to be slightly sunburned from long days out in the sun. He was balding and missing a few teeth. She didn't get a chance to really notice anything else about him because she pulled the trigger and shot him square in the chest just as he started to lunged toward her. They both fell backwards—him because of the bullet and her because of the recoil on the weapon. She didn't have very much experience with using one.

She was somewhat disoriented as she tried to get back to her feet. _I just shot a man..._ She thought _. Probably killed him..._ Well, there was a first time for everything. Just as she was about to come to terms with her first possible kill, another pirate rushed through the doorway with wide eyes. "You bitch! What have you done?!" The brunette didn't have time to respond, or even get a good look at the guy before she felt a sudden pain blossom on her cheek as he punched her. She tasted blood in her mouth and tears pricked the corners of her eyes as a pair of hands wrapped around her neck. She clawed at his arms and gasped for breath, but to no avail. Her vision started going dark.

 _"Waahh! Put me down!" Valeska cried, kicking and screaming as the mean looking man dragged her out of her home and into the chaotic mess taking place in town. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she choked on the acrid black smoke that filled the air. She screamed for help, or at least tried to. Someone had to save her from the scary man dragging her down the street. That was when the marines came. A half a dozen of them showed up and pointed their guns at the man holding her. He dropped her and fled, and she quickly got to her feet and hurried towards the marine holding his hand out to her._

"You let go of her you filthy scumbag!" Suddenly the hands around her neck vanished and Valeska sucked the air she had depraved of. She coughed, her through feeling sore. The sound of a gunshot drew her attention and she looked up to see a female marine standing over the lifeless body of her attacker with a smoking pistol in hand. "Don't you dare touch her..." she muttered dangerously. The marine looked over at the brunette, eyes glittering with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Grace...?" Valeska's voice sounded a bit hoarse. "What are you doing here...?"

"C'mon, Val. We gotta get out of here." The other girl firmly gripped the brunette's upper arm and helped her to her feet. She didn't wait for Valeska to put her thoughts together before hauling her out of the ransacked house, and Val didn't argue. Grace kept her close as she pulled her friend towards the beach where other marines were helping people evacuate the island. On their way there, they were stopped by a trio of pirates. Grace pushed Valeska behind her and stepped forward to fight them. "Get lost, you damned pigs!" She unsheathed her sword.

 _As the little brunette girl was being carried towards the safety of the marine battleship just off the coast of the island, she looked back at her home town with tears in her eyes. It was then that she saw a girl with silvery white hair about her age also being carried to the ship, but she was resisting the marine all the while. "Let me go! Let me go! They killed my... I need to...!" She bit the marine, and scurried away from when he dropped her in surprise. She ran right up to a pirate that the marines were trying to take down and stabbed him in the leg with a sharp piece of wood she had picked up along the way. The big brute cried out in pain and batted her away easily.  
_

 _"You little brat...!" He pushed her head into the ground with his foot._

 _"You...!" The girl struggled against him, tears streaming down her face. "I'll kill you! You dirty pirate!" The marines descended upon the man, pulling him off of her. She got to her feet and ran at him again, only to be stopped. "Let me go! I need to kill him!" She was picked up and held firmly so that she wouldn't escape again. When she realized her struggles were futile she let out an anguished scream._

Valeska watched from a safe distance as Grace put everything she had into subduing her enemies. It was three against one, but they did stand a chance against her fierce determination. She had come a long way.

Soon, some of her comrades arrived to back her up and the pirates were hauled away in chains. Grace led the brunette towards the small boats ready to take survivors to the marine battle ship. Valeska sat quietly, trying to rest her sore throat while Grace helped row the dinghy to its destination. Once they were on the deck, the marine gave her friend a proper once over.

"You look like hell..." she said.

"Heh." The brunette touched her cheek and winced. "Yeah?" As she looked back at Grace, she noticed the slight bags under her eyes, indicative of someone who hadn't had a good night's rest in a long time. She also saw the remnants of emotional exhaustion in her eyes that couldn't have come from what happened earlier. "You look like you've seen it..."

Grace looked away and didn't respond, and Valeska didn't push it. Instead she inquired as to where a bucket might be because she was beginning to feel the effects of her chronic seasickness. To which Grace responded that she should just stay near the side of the ship.

* * *

 **A/N: Grace finally sees the dark side to the World Government and Valeska revisits some events from the past. How sad.**

 **See you next time! And don't worry, Shanks will be there!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I'm so sorry for making you wait almost a month for this chapter! Writers block is the worst. Every day this month I opened up this document and tried to write. I stared at the page and tried to figure out how to make the words flow. I only managed to write down a couple sentences or a paragraph a day, so it took forever... I'm sorry. I wish I was faster. ;_; I hope you guys like this chapter though. I'll try to be quicker for the next one.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen:  
**

 **Soul Meets Soul on Lovers' Lips  
**

Shanks stepped onto the dock beside his first mate as he finished tying their ship to the dock. It wasn't a very big ship. In fact, it may have been too small to consider it a proper ship, but they didn't really need anything bigger for just two people. When Ben stood up after their boat was secured, he pointed towards a building with dark windows. "That place looks like they sell sake, but I don't think they're open..." It didn't look like they'd be able buy any to stock their ship until the next day.

"Well, it _is_ kinda late..." the redhead replied. It was long past closing time for most shops. In fact, they really should have tucked in for the night, but they found themselves wide awake with no hope of finding sleep any time soon. The day had been rather slow and they had spent it napping in between looking for things to occupy their time. It was no wonder they couldn't sleep. "Maybe there's a bar still open somewhere we can hang out at." he said.

With that, Shanks and his first mate set out in search of a pub that was still open. It didn't take too long to find one. It was one of the only places that still had it's lights on. It was fairly quiet inside with only a couple of other patrons scattered around the room. Ben didn't pay them much heed, but one of them caught Shanks' attention. He stopped where he was, gaze locked on the lone figure sitting at the bar.

"Captain? What's the matter?"

Ben's question fell on deaf ears. "I'll be right back..." Shanks said absently. He bee-lined straight for the empty stool next to the girl he hadn't seen in just over a year. A twinge of relief surged through him as he slid into the seat and verified that it really was her. "Well, well, well..." He smiled when her eyes widened in surprise and rested his chin on his hand. "Fancy meeting you here!"

Grace lowered her mug onto the counter as she gulped down a mouthful of beer. "Shanks..." She shifted in her seat, turning her body slightly to face him. "What're you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking that, I think..." The redhead replied. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Drinking. What does it look like?"

"By yourself? That's no good." Shanks turned away for a moment to get the bartender's attention and ordered himself a drink.

"Yeah, well, Valeska isn't really into alcohol." the marine replied.

"She's here too?" The redhead looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "How come?"

"Neutral islands like hers have been pretty easy targets for pirate lookin' to expand their territory..." Grace sipped her drink. "So she's moving."

"Oh. I see...Sorry about that." He watched Grace shrug it off.

"It's not like you had any part in it."

Shanks briefly glanced at the beer mug placed in front of him and took a drink. "So where is she moving to?"

"She hasn't decided on a place yet. We've kinda just been island hopping for now."

"Both of you?"

"Well, yeah. I don't want Val traveling by herself, and the marines are too busy to escort her where ever she wants to go." Grace replied. "And I kinda needed some time off anyway, so..."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that..."

"Me neither."

Shanks frowned at the gloomy response. "What happened, Gracie?"

"...I can't say." The marine brought the mug to her lips and took a generous sip. The redhead paused for a moment, debating whether or not he should pry. In the end, he decided against it. He didn't want to bring her mood any further down than it was.

"I won't push it then..." He slid his arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer until she was leaning against him. Shanks pressed his lips against her temple. "It's nice to see you again, sweetheart."

The marine squirmed slightly with reddened cheeks that seemed a like a little more than an intoxicated flush. "Likewise..." she mumbled. "But isn't it too hot to be sitting so close like this?"

"It's not really that warm in here." he replied. He twirled a strand of her hair. "I think the booze is getting to you, deary." The pirate smiled. A smile that turned into a flirtatious smirk after he licked his lips. "Or maybe...I'm the one getting you all hot?" He couldn't help but chuckle when Grace pushed off of him.

"Absolutely _not_!" The heat rising to her face was almost warm enough for Shanks to feel.

"I was only kidding, love!" He slid of his seat and wrapped his arms around the marine's waist. "Please don't be mad." He didn't appear to be too worried if his mischievous grin was any indication.

Grace shifted around so that she was mostly facing the cheeky pirate. She had her hands on his chest as she halfheartedly tried to push him away. "As if anybody'd be affected by _you._.."

"Aw, don't say that. You'll hurt my feelings." Shanks took hold of one of her hands and kissed her palm. He flinched slightly when she pinched his nose.

"Yeah right. You don't sound very offended." Grace leaned back against the counter.

"That's 'cause I know you don't mean it." The redhead replied. "I also know you're lying, so..." he added with a grin.

"I am not."

"Oh Pinocchio, I think your nose is getting longer."

"You're such a pain in the ass."

"You know you can't get enough of me."

"You think so? 'Cause _I_ think I _have_ had enough..."

Shanks had to step back when Grace slid off her seat. He watched her reach into her pocket and fish out some money to pay for her drink. "You're gonna ditch me already? But it's been so long since the last time we saw each other..." he pouted.

"What, you mean you're actually gonna listen for once if I tell ya to get lost?" Grace raised her eyebrows at the redhead briefly and then turned towards the exit.

The pirate blinked dumbly for a second before squinting at the marine. "Was that, like...a really _really_ indirect way of inviting me to go with you? Or is that too much of a stretch?" She didn't respond. She just looked down bashfully and started walking towards the door. "It _was_." He could feel himself practically beaming. There was a certain pep in his step as he followed Grace out the door. "Someone alert the press! I think we have tomorrow's front page story! 'Antisocial Grump Asks Charming Redhead on a Date!' How's that for the headline?"

"You're exaggerating." Grace replied with a roll of her eyes. "And you're also making me regret letting you come out here with me."

Shanks chuckled. "Can you blame me?" He stepped closer and encircled her with his arms. "You're being so..." Nice? Accommodating? What was the right word? "...Approachable." he decided. The lack of reluctance on her part was so unlike her. He cocked his head slightly, curious. "How come?" he asked.

Grace bit her lip, eyes refusing to meet his. "Well, I..." She trailed off. After a moment she took a deep breath and finally looked at the redhead in the eye. Before he could ask what was on her mind, he felt a pair of hands firmly press against his cheeks and pull his head down.

The redhead's mind went entirely blank. All that existed was the feeling of lips pushed up against his own. It ended far too quickly, disappeared as suddenly as it came. If not for the way Grace hid her blushing face from his wide eyes by resting her forehead on his chest, he may have even doubted it happened at all.

Shanks licked his lips and rested his cheek against the marine's head. His pulse was racing and he wanted to dive in and show her how to kiss someone properly. (Not that he had that much experience with it, but still.) But he held back. There was no sense in rushing it, and this was a moment where it would be smart to play it safe. "Gracie..." He paused a moment and then continued when he didn't get a response. "I was supposed to do that first." he whispered. He heard a snort muffled by his shirt and smiled.

"Is that all you have to say about it?"

"Yes. Wait... Actually, no. I'd also like to mention that I think it was entirely too short."

"Gimme a break... You're lucky I did it at all."

"Yeah, but..." He nuzzled her hair. "You have to admit it kind of leaves something to be desired, no?"

"Oh, well, if you think you can do better..."

Shanks pulled back and licked his lips when Grace looked up at him. "Is that an invitation?"

"Did it sound like one?"

"Can you give me a straight answer instead of being cryptic?"

"I _can_."

"...Look at you being all _cheeky_." The redhead grinned when a small smile appeared on her face. He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with my prickly hedgehog?"

"So I'm a hedgehog now?"

"Shh, they're cute. And prickly. Just like you are."

"Hmph."

"We're getting off track." Shanks' hands found their way to the marine's cheeks. "Was it an invitation or not?" Grace nibbled on her lip for a second, and then gave a small nod. That was all the pirate needed to tilt his head and lean in to claim her lips.

* * *

It was hard not to be acutely aware of every minute detail in that single moment. The nearly dead night time silence was only broken by the sound of slightly uneven breathing and the quietly shuffle of clothing as the pair pressed as close as possible. One of the hands on the marine's cheeks slipped around to gently cradle the back of her head while the other felt it's way down to the small of her back. It was so intimate. There was so much Grace had to focus on, it was almost overwhelming. The tip of a tongue brushed against her lips every now and then, not quite becoming a substantial part of the kiss but just present enough to catch the marine's attention. Either Shanks was deliberately being cautious and testing the waters for a reaction or maybe he was a little bit uncertain as to whether he should go for it. Maybe it was a little of both.

In one bold second, Grace let her tongue flit across the redhead's lips. But immediately afterwards, she chickened out and turned her face away to hide it against his shoulder. She suddenly felt like she'd had enough, like she needed to let this new step of their relationship sink in properly. There was a pause during which she heard him lick his lips rather audibly and then his face was pressed against the side of her head. "What's the matter?" His voice was somewhat husky, making her heart pound.

The marine swallowed down the butterflies trying so desperately to escape her body. "I-I think that's just fine for a first kiss, don't you...?" she murmured.

"...But...It was just getting good, wasn't it...?" Shanks sounded faintly crestfallen, and Grace felt just a little bit bad.

"S-sorry..." Her cheeks felt hot.

The redhead let a sigh and tilted her face up with a reassuring smile. "It's okay..." He then looked at her lips longingly for a moment. "Are you sure—"

"Shanks." There was the barest hint of warning in her tone.

"...Fine..." He pouted.

Grace bit her lip timidly. "Look, um...I-It's just been kind of a long day you know? For me, I mean..." She said.

"Aw, you're not gonna leave already, are you? So cruel. You steal a kiss and then you vanish..."

"Who's vanishing? Why are you being so dramatic?" Grace shook her head. "We can see each other tomorrow, if you're gonna be around."

"Really?" Shanks seemed to perk up. "You promise?" When she nodded, he smiled. "I guess I'll live 'til then. Maybe we can go on a date..." he said. Suddenly he paused and looked towards the bar. "Maybe I can also introduce you to my first mate that you made me forget about..."

"First mate?"

"Yeah! His name's Benn. I started my own crew!" he replied. "It's just the two of us right now though. And I kinda ditched him so I should probably..."

"Right...Well, then I guess I should go..." Grace looked up at Shanks somewhat awkwardly. How did people smoothly extract themselves from these kinds of moments?

"Yeah..." He didn't immediately let her go. Instead, he leaned in and stole kiss, and then another after murmuring "Good night." Only then did slip away from her waist.

After uttering her own 'goodbye' she began her walk back to the inn where she and Valeska were staying. Along the way, she had plenty of time to ponder the events of that evening. Grace brushed her thumb across her lips and was mystified by the fact that she already longed to see the pirate again. She never thought she'd indulge in any romantic pursuits, yet there she was; thinking about what their next tryst would be like. She felt silly being distracted by something that seemed so innocent compared to what she normally worried about.

Her thoughts turned to what she had been brooding over before Shanks had distracted her and frowned. That whole terrible year weighed on her soul like the sky weighed on the god Atlas' shoulders. Maybe losing herself in her forbidden romance wouldn't be so bad.

And so began her personal rebellion against the supposed symbol of justice that the World Government claimed to be.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally! A kiss! Took 'em long enough, eh?**

 **See you lovely readers next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So uh, hey guys. It's been a while. Far too long in fact. Sorry for being away for so long. Frankly I just hadn't been feeling up to writing very much until recently. I blame the end of 2015, to be honest. The year just didn't wrap up very well and it kinda killed my motivation for months. But I've been feeling better so hopefully I'll update more often. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **PS I couldn't really think of a very good title for this chapter, but meh. Its not really that important.**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen:**

 **Adjusting  
**

Grace grabbed a cold water bottle from the little fridge in the tiny kitchen and briefly pressed it against her forehead to see if it would offer any relief for the dull ache throbbing within her skull. It didn't do any good, so she gave up trying to find a remedy for her hangover. It wasn't terribly unbearable, thankfully. It's not like she had gotten completely hammered the night before. Still, her headache was a minor annoyance that she hoped would disappear soon. She didn't want to be any grouchier than usual if she ran into Shanks later that day.

When he crossed her mind, she felt her cheeks heat up. What would she do if she did run into him? She _wanted_ to see him, sure, but she didn't know how she was supposed to act. She certainly wouldn't be able to pull of that cutesy, lovey-dovey act that seemed so common among most couples. Grace supposed she should _act natural_ , but she didn't even know how to do _that_. She was in completely new territory and she couldn't figure out what direction she should be heading in.

"Are you okay...?"

The marine's eyes snapped over to where Valeska was standing. She had a towel half draped over her wet hair. "Uh..." Grace took a little too long to process the question. "I'm fine!"

The brunette squinted at her friend, and then glanced at the water bottle she was subconsciously fiddling with. "...Sure you are..." She nodded towards the bathroom. "You can shower now, if you want to..."

"Okay." Grace maundered out of the kitchen and towards the bathroom with furrowed eyebrows. She paused just before entering. She knew it was completely obvious that she was hiding something. Valeska would inevitably hound her about it at some point. She turned around and faced her friend, who was in the middle of towel drying her hair. Maybe Grace should just save them both the trouble and come clean. _Maybe she can help me with all this.._. The marine didn't really _like_ the idea of asking for help, but lord knows she needed it. "Uh, h-hey Val?"

"Hm?"She looked over.

"I-I'm just gonna get this out of the way so you don't have to pry it out of me later. I, um..." Grace cleared her throat as if it would help her force the words out. "Last night..." She looked away, heat rising to her face. _Just say it. Get it over with_. She took a deep breath. "Last night I ran into Shanks and I, uh...W-we..."

"Oh? Your boyfriend's here?" Valeska's eyebrows lifted. "So, what happened?"

"I was getting to that..." the marine replied with a blush. "I, um...I kissed him." She mumbled.

There was a short pause. "Wait, really? _You_ kissed _him_? As in, _you_ made the first move?" The brunette waited for her friend to nod and then barked out a laugh. "Ha! Who knew you had it in you!"

"Shut up..." Grace huffed. "Anyway, I kinda told him I'd hang out with him today, but I don't know how I'm supposed to act now..."

"And you want my advice, is that it? Well..." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you other than 'relax and act natural'. Then again, for you 'acting natural' means being abrasive and in denial..."

"So, you're saying I should be nicer...?"

"Well, maybe just a little bit. Or maybe not. I mean, he fell for you the way you are, so maybe he likes the whole snappish porcupine thing you have going on."

Grace rolled her eyes. "That doesn't help me at all."

"Look, just be yourself. And don't think so much about it."

The marine sighed. "Forget it. I'm gonna take a shower."

"Hey, don't just brush off my advice that quick. It might work, for all you know." Valeska went back to drying her hair while Grace tried settle her roiling nerves.

* * *

Benn watched with mild amusement every time his captain (not so) discreetly peered through the window of the liquor store to look at the dock. It was obvious he was doing. He was looking for that girl he had wandered out of the bar with the night before. When he came back all moony and distracted, he uttered a half-assed "Sorry I forgot about you" and then started telling him all about the "sweetheart" marine he was head over heals for. Admittedly, the first mate had zoned out at some point when it looked like the redhead was babbling more to himself than to Benn, but he'd listened long enough to know what he needed to.

"You know how they say 'a watched pot never boils'? I think that concept could be applied here too, Captain."

"You mean if I keep looking, she'll never show up?" Shanks said. "You're probably right." He went back to searching for some booze that was within their price range, but he was inevitably drawn back to the window to check for his bonny lass.

It wasn't too much later that the pair managed to accomplish their task and after storing away their new supply of alcohol, Benn lit a cigarette and leaned back against the mast. A certain sort of quiet had settled over their ship, during which Shanks couldn't figure out what to do with himself. He was restless. One moment his eyes were scanning the town and the next he wandered into their ship's cabin. Then he was back on the deck, pacing along the length of ship. All within the span of ten minutes.

"...So, did you agree on a time for your little date or...?"

Shanks stopped pacing. "Well, no...We didn't really come up with a place to meet up, either..." He looked at Benn sheepishly. "That's why I want to stay by the ship, 'cause she knows I started my own crew and I figured she's smart enough to come find our ship."

"Okay, well what about your date? You got any plans?"

"I was just gonna wing it like I usually do." The redhead replied. "But...I guess this will be our first real date..." He said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should do something more special..." Shanks tapped his chin, and then abruptly stepped off of the ship. "I'll be right back! If Gracie shows up, stall her for me, 'kay?"

He didn't give Benn enough time to respond before he rushed off into the town to find something to do before it was too late. One would think he'd have put more thought into it beforehand considering how excited he was. _This guy, I swear..._

* * *

Valeska shut the door behind her and turned to look at the fidgety marine standing next to her. Her eyes were locked on her fingers, which were fiddling with the rubber band at the end of the loose side braid she was sporting.

"...It's just a braid, Grace. It's not like it's anything fancy."

"I know, but...it's weird."

"It's not weird, it's cute." The brunette turned and started walking towards the lobby. "And don't you want to look nice for your man?" She took a glance over her shoulder and laughed at the flush of red that colored her friend's cheeks. "So do you guys know what you're doing today, or what?"

"I don't know if he's got anything planned or not." Grace picked up the pace until she was walking beside her friend. "And I definitely don't have any ideas. What are dates supposed to be like again?"

"I don't know. Romantic?"

"Well, yeah, I know that part..."

Valeska shrugged. "I'm in the same boat as you, Grace. I haven't gone on a date before either. And I'm not really one for romance novels, so..."

The marine sighed. "I don't like that I'm basically going into this blind..."

"Says the girl who's known for rushing an enemy without a second thought..."

"That's different. I know how fighting works, and battle fields are all the same when you get down to it. This, on the other hand...I'm out of my element, Val."

"Then you just have to learn how romance works. How hard could it be?" The brunette went on before the other girl could continue grumbling about her lack of experience. "Now, let's go find your lover boy."

"You're coming, too...?"

"Don't worry, I won't stay for too long. I just wanna kill a little time."

"Well, alright..."

With that, Valeska let the marine take the lead and followed her towards the harbor. Grace absently slowed her pace as she scanned the array of boats lining the docks in search of her red haired suitor. Instead of spotting him, though, a whistle got their attention. There was a man lounging on the roof of a small ship's cabin and he beckoned the girls over with a wave of his hand. He was fairly tall with long black hair tied back into a ponytail.

"If you're lookin' for the captain, he told me to distract you until he got back."

"You must be...Benn, was it?"

"That's me. Nice to meet you, Grace. The captain told me all about you."

"I...see..." When Valeska looked at her friend, she couldn't keep a smirk from forming at the sight of her flushed cheeks. The marine coughed and turned her face away as she gestured towards the brunette. "A-anyway, this is my friend, Valeska." she said, a poor attempt at diverting the attention from herself.

"Hello." She flashed a smile as Benn acknowledged her with a nod. "So, what exactly has Red told you about? Getting this one to talk is like pulling teeth."

"That's because it's none of your business!"

Valeska pouted at the other girl. "But it's not fair that he knows," she jerked her head at Benn, "and I don't..."

"It's none of his business either, but it's not like I can stop Shanks from blabbing!"

"He _can_ be kind of a chatterbox, huh? I'll just ask him when I get a chance then." She snickered. Grace only groaned to herself.

* * *

Shanks caught himself whistling on the way back to the docks. Just a few upbeat notes that gave away his mood to anybody who bothered to notice. He felt like he found the perfect date spot and he was sure his favorite marine would like it too. As he squeezed passed groups of people bustling about the shipyard, he caught sight of the pretty white hair he'd grown to love. His heart fluttered restlessly as his attention zeroed in on the girl leaning against a post with her arms crossed. She was scowling slightly, cheeks red, and glaring at some point out on the ocean. That was when the redhead noticed a familiar brunette conversing with his first mate.

That explained it. They must have been talking about whatever Shanks had told Benn the previous night. To be honest, he didn't remember all of it that well. Whether it was because of the alcohol or if his head was just to hazy with affection to pay attention to what came out of his mouth, he didn't know. It didn't matter though. What _did_ matter was the way Gracie's expression changed when she spotted him. It went from a flustered scowl to a shy anticipation as she stood up straight and started fiddling with her hair. Hair that was in a _side braid_. _She did something cute with her hair just for him_.

Shanks felt a slight heat rise to his cheeks as when Benn and Valeska both looked in his direction. Well, it was mostly when _Valeska_ looked in his direction. She had a certain _look_ on her face. A sly look. The kind of look people got when they planned to tease somebody with that little rhyme about sitting in a tree with a crush.

"Hey there, Red. Long time, no see." the brunette said as he neared.

Shanks smiled. "Yeah, no kidding. Nice to see you." He turned his attention to the other girl. "Hi Gracie..."

She looked up from the tip of the braid she was inspection too closely. "Hi..." For a moment, they both stood there seemingly lost in each other's eyes. Grace was the first to break eye contact, looking somewhere off to the side.

The redhead cleared his throat at the same time, just as he heard some amused snickering coming his friends. "So, uh, what brings you here?" he asked turning his attention to Valeska.

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to say hi is all. But I can tell you don't really wanna stand around and chat with me." Valeska looked at her nails.

Shanks scratched the back of his neck. "Er, that's not—"

"You're right, he doesn't, we're leaving now, bye!" Grace snatched up the redhead's wrist and all but started dragging him away as her friend snorted.

"Have fun, lovebirds!"

"G-Gracie?" Shanks tugged his arm slightly to get her to slow her pace a bit.

"What?"

"That was...kinda rude, don't you think?"

The marine fixed him with an intense gaze. "I am not putting up with anymore of her teasing right now! You can catch up all you want later, but right now I just want..." She trailed off, eyes shifting to look elsewhere as her cheeks reddened. "I just want to be alone...with... you..." she mumbled.

An involuntary smile lit up Shanks' face as he slowed to a stop. "Gracie..." He waited for her to look at him before leaning in to steal a kiss. "I know the perfect place." he said.

* * *

 **A/N: And so, that does it for this long overdue chapter. I hope you all enjoyed! I'm not gonna promise a speedy update since I always seem to break that promise, but I do hope you'll stay tuned for more. See you in the next one!**


	16. Update

**THIS IS NOT A NEW CHAPTER UPDATE**

 **IF I GOT YOUR HOPES UP, I'M SORRY**

 **Alright, now that that's out of the way, I feel I owe you guys a bit of an explanation. Or sort of explanation? Well, it's not really an explanation. It's more of a little news update for my plans with this story.**

 **Don't worry! It's not being cancelled! I'm still very determined to see this finished!**

 **However, I must confess that I'm kind of an indecisive POS and because I've changed my mind about certain things that will happen in the future, I'm going to be editing past chapters to better reflect what I have in mind. Not much will really change in terms of events, but some(a lot?) of the writing will change and there will be a couple of new scenes and new characters introduced early on. I just wanted to let you guys know.**

 **I would just like to thank you in advance for your patience and I hope you'll keep sticking around till the end.**

 **Again. I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting. You're the best and love each and every one of you.**

 ****At the time of writing this, I've edited up to chapter 7****


End file.
